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    10 Tips for Driving Change in Your Organization from the Back Seat

    This post has been updated for 2020.

    Frequently, I hear from readers who express their frustration when I write about ways to institute positive change in an organization because they don’t feel that they’re in a position that allows them to drive change. So my interest was piqued when I came across a book whose authors contend that anyone in an organization, regardless of where they fall on the org chart, can drive change.

    The book, “Leading Business Change for Dummies,” was written by professional development coaches Christina Tangora Schlachter and Terry H. Hildebrandt, who argue that it may be more challenging for employee-led grassroots movements to spark change, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Here are their 10 tips for driving change from the back seat.

    Table of contents

    1. Align individual priorities with organizational goals
    2. Learn to live with ambiguity
    3. Make a plan for the change
    4. Change what you can change: yourself
    5. Influence what you can’t change: others
    6. Become an early adopter and ally for change
    7. Provide data to back up your changes
    8. Help other employees cope with change
    9. Encourage communication among your peers
    10. Believe in the change and speak up

    1. Align individual priorities with organizational goals

    No matter where you work, chances are your organization has overarching evolutionary goals it is working to meet. Don’t just wait to be told what to do — look at those goals and figure out what you can do as an individual employee to support them. For instance, if your company just announced that it is acquiring another to strengthen its product line, one of your individual priorities might be to learn more about that company, its customers, and what it does. You could even ask your manager to present your ideas on how these findings will impact your team. 

    When you make the link between what you do on a day-to-day basis and how that can support the overall change initiative, you’re showing dedication and demonstrating that you want to help. This understanding works well during any type of company-wide process or technological change because you can begin to recommend better ways of doing what you already do.

    Goal-setting software options

    HR software, like Engagedly or Namely, offers a centralized place where employees can measure their performance, see feedback from their managers, and set goals for themselves. Most similar systems provide an easy to use review management system, where employees can have frank discussions with their managers about their goals and how they can drive change within the organization.

    2. Learn to live with ambiguity

    If you’re not running the show (and sometimes, even if you are), there will usually be uncertainty during change. For instance, perhaps leadership hasn’t answered all of your questions because not all of the details have been worked out yet. Executives may also have legal reasons for not releasing information. The point is, sometimes it’s in your best interest to roll with the ambiguity. Of course, you should raise your concerns and ideas if you have them, but then keep focused on the task at hand. However, if you feel that ambiguity is disturbing the workplace or if you see executives ignoring real concerns, let your manager know the downstream impact in a polite yet firm manner.

    3. Make a plan for the change

    When bringing up a problem to someone, they’re much more likely to be receptive to you if you also bring a solution. Change works similarly. If you want to institute change in your organization, you need to come up with at least a partial plan for enacting that change. It doesn’t have to be set in stone, as the company executives are going to have a say, but if you at least have a framework ready to go, it’ll make implementing the change much easier.

    Project management software for planning

    Project management software, like Wrike or Basecamp, can help you organize the steps you plan to take while implementing change and display your plan to the people in charge. These tools use drag-and-drop workflow editors, so you can easily change the plan as things come up. Some tools even include extra features like Gantt charts to help you keep an eye on how the changes are progressing.

    4. Change what you can change: yourself

    There is an old saying that too many cooks spoil the soup. Similarly, too many leaders during change can make everything confusing and fragmented. If you are not in a position to formally influence the change, instead of trying to create a leadership role, take the opportunity to change your own attitude, behaviors, and beliefs. You can do this by setting realistic goals for yourself and then eliciting feedback on them from peers, managers, and perhaps even customers. Remember that organizational change and personal change have strong similarities: You must clearly identify what you want to change, what the change looks like, and the specific steps and milestones for meeting them.

    5. Influence what you can’t change: others

    Even if you’re not the one running the show, you can still influence the direction of the change. And your position of being “one of them” could even give your opinions a boost with your fellow employees! A good way to build trust and respect with your colleagues is to give meaningful and timely feedback with the sole intent of increasing effectiveness and job satisfaction. Cultivating this atmosphere of openness among your peers will help you influence change because knowing others’ motivations and interests will help you to explain how the change project will meet their needs. And don’t forget, another great way to influence change is to model the behavior you want to see in others.

    6. Become an early adopter and ally for change

    Adapting early to change and being an ally for it is one of the simplest and most visible ways of leading change when you are not running the show. This entails wanting change to happen and working toward that goal as soon as you have a logical explanation for a particular alteration or modification.

    The nice thing about being an ally and early adopter is that you aren’t seen as someone who is just giving facetime to the change; you are actually doing it and helping to spread enthusiasm among your team members.

    Digital business transformation technology

    Data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotic process automation (RPA) are three technologies that have a huge impact on business transformation. Adding these technology innovations to your organization can help reduce operating costs and time. Finding a way to incorporate these technologies may help you influence the change you want to see in your organization.

    Also read: Low-Code Apps Based on Spreadsheets Simplify Digital Business Transformation

    7. Provide data to back up your suggested changes

    If you want to make organizational change, you’ll need to explain why it will benefit your company. Come to meetings prepared with data that will backup your claims and show why these changes are what’s best for the company. Think about things like how much time or money it will save the company, what the time to implementation looks like, and any other benefits these changes will offer.

    Data visualization software

    If you need help putting this data into a format people will understand, data visualization software, like Dundas or ClearStory Data, can help you put it into an easily understood report. Data visualization tools offer detailed reporting tools and data analytics, and you can customize your dashboard to show the most important metrics.

    8. Help other employees cope with change

    Even if you’re excited about change, not everyone will be. Some team members might find the going to be extremely tough; they might also feel confused, angry, or taken advantage of. You can help make the transition easier for them. First, be on the lookout for signals that someone needs help coping, like absenteeism, depressed or despondent behavior, or attacks on team members. You might want to intervene one-on-one or help steer a bickering session into a change session. You can also help others cope through active listening. Try to act as a sounding board, and make it your goal to help the other person reduce emotionality and increase rational discussion.

    Also read: Preparing for the Coming Massive Changes: The Flux Mindset

    9. Encourage communication among your peers

    Remember, the sum of the parts is always greater than individual contribution levels added together. On a regular basis, ask yourself how you can help build a better organization by diffusing confusion, expediting the flow of information, or reaching out to others. Communication between peers and up through management helps make your job easier in a number of ways. It uncovers what is valuable to the business and what is not, it minimizes the amount of time required to achieve goals, and it maximizes productivity.

    Collaboration software for improved communication

    Collaboration software, like Slack or Microsoft SharePoint, is a great way to keep your entire team connected, even if some people work remotely. These apps are easy to use and create a space where team members can discuss ideas to make change as easy and seamless as possible. Most of the time, they also integrate with a variety of other tools you use to create a more cohesive work environment.

    10. Believe in the change and speak up

    This isn’t so much about self-help as it is making positive ideas a reality! As soon as change starts happening, start talking about how great it will be. And if change isn’t happening yet, talk about past accomplishments in order to capture the emotions, excitement, and energy your team needs to forge ahead.

    Whether you are the most junior employee in the company or the CEO, showing your enthusiasm for the project always helps. Change comes from the heart, not from corporate messaging. Remember that a sense of possibility for the future of the company is contagious.

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