| Top management sometimes plans extensively for | | | | exercising a new type of leadership. You will be less |
| strategic changes in an organization, but places very | | | | of a controller and more of a coordinator. Only you |
| little emphasis on how to handle the transition from the | | | | and your staff together can make things happen. You |
| old way to the new. When this happens, the new goal, | | | | must learn how to delegate intelligently some of your |
| system, organization or project is simply presented as | | | | control to your team. |
| a direction or decision to a work team. When the team | | | | As a manager, you have special responsibilities to |
| has not been consulted, this comes as a shock. The | | | | maintain strong upward lines of communication. If you |
| change is announced and implementation is left to the | | | | keep the information you receive from above to |
| group. When this happens to you, as the manager | | | | yourself, or feel you are the only one who knows how |
| involved, you are put on the spot. You need to | | | | to handle change, this will not be helpful in implementing |
| produce results but you can only do this when your | | | | changes. Your staff will not learn, will not have the |
| team is fully behind the changes. Top management too | | | | information they need to make changes and will not |
| often considers implementation of the change a | | | | feel they share in the change unless you involve them |
| footnote to their plan. Your work team may consider | | | | by giving up some of your control. |
| the same change as a crisis of the first magnitude. | | | | Power and influence |
| Most of the difficulties manifest themselves in this | | | | Most of the major organizational changes you will |
| transition period. This is where people get stuck. They | | | | experience in your career will not be initiated by you. |
| become confused, anxious, angry, and often | | | | You may be able to anticipate change or see it |
| unproductive. Your job as manager is to move your | | | | coming (for example, the need for new technology); |
| team through change in the smoothest possible way, | | | | however, most of the time change will be handed to |
| regardless of how well or poorly the change was | | | | you as a fait accompli. When this happens, a typical |
| introduced. | | | | reaction, regardless of level, is an attitude of |
| Gaining control by giving it up | | | | helplessness. What can I do? or Has anyone taken us |
| A major lesson in leadership is that you can not move | | | | into account? can lead to inactivity and frustration and |
| through change and keep previous levels of tight | | | | workers will spend their time bemoaning the change, |
| control over your staff. The lesson is to gain control | | | | dreaming of the old days, or criticizing the judgment of |
| over change by giving it up. | | | | top management. |
| In effective organizations, people share basic goals and | | | | Your task as change agent is to direct energy away |
| communicate clearly, directly and regularly about what | | | | from the feeling of powerlessness, and security from |
| they are doing. Each person goes about his or her | | | | the past, and towards seeing the opportunities of the |
| work with greater flexibility than is common in less | | | | future. You can do this by calling attention to the ways |
| effective organizations. If you manage an effective | | | | in which your team can make a difference. |
| organization you will benefit during change by | | | | |