By Barbara Moser
There are many similarities between change management and team sports. Sports metaphors can be great motivators. Nike’s Just Do It campaign is still at it and always changing. Under Armour isn’t only worn under anymore. These are teamwork examples of forward-thinking marketing opportunities, which discover untapped opportunities to build cultural and community awareness.
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What you can do to manage change?
Companies that want to be great build the culture of purpose, set vision and strategy, design the brand experience, and truly engage their customers. Change management is more about transitioning individuals, teams and organizations from the current structure to the future state. Organizations need to apply motivational strategies and techniques to enhance commitment to change. Bring in workshop presenters, such as board certified behavioral psychologists to help change behaviors. Use balance exercises to assess ambivalence to change and enhance motivation to change. Convey advice/feedback and work effectively with resistive and ambivalent individuals. In order to implement or control change, we need creativity and innovation. Mr. Jack Welch quotes, “Change before you have to.” There is a challenge within change we need to identify. The following are three steps I’d like you to consider when addressing change. 
Step 1: Acquire left and right brain thinkers
Individual talent does not guarantee a successful team; it is how the team collaborates and performs together that matters. Consider someone on your team who studied humanities, both left and right brain people who have the capacity to imagine and think through ambiguous concepts. Plans that detail the skills required for the objectives are crucial. Individual strengths contribute to team efforts. Weaknesses and negativity must be taken into consideration. Use the strengths and work on the weaknesses. Break down problems and issues into smaller increments. Team members can take online classes to bring confidence and skill levels up. Education is a life-long endeavor. Give them options and the ability to proceed. The change must be actionable.
Step 2: Formulate a game plan
Identify the timeline and roadblocks. Collaborate with your team, together and individually, to craft vision. Plan your approach to identify specific issues, project schedule changes and budget or scope changes. Make sure changes are within scope and beneficial to the project. Implement weekly one-on-one meetings. Remember great leadership/coaching is the ability to get individuals to work together for a common good and the best results, while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves. Feedback is crucial—this is where trust is built. Both listening and speaking skills are important. Leadership based on conversation enables people to find their unique voices and make new understanding possible.
Step 3: Keep your stakeholders involved
The Change Management Plan describes the purpose of the board and their roles of the board. The Change Control Board is the approval authority for project changes. This board may consist of members from Human Resources, Administration, Marketing/Creative Services, Organizational Development, Finance, Information Technology and Risk Management, etc. Reinforce to keep change and ensure the plan is successful.
Practice accountability, keep commitments to extend trust and share vision among partners. Focus on building a trusting relationship and partnership with the team and members of the board, by becoming a resource, and helping them solve their on-going problems, or satisfying their continuing and evolving needs and obligations. Realize that your job is not only to manage change, but to also help the team and board become comfortable with this concept. Information is power and successful people uncover needs, problems, questions and concerns in a timely and truthful way.
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About InSource Content Contributor Barbara Moser
Barbara Moser uses her 20+ years of advertising agency experience and applies it to the corporate healthcare industry, serving on teams integrating digital and creative projects. She is part of a team of designers with strong Project Management skills, who deliver informational corporate brand results. A former Velodrome bicycle racer, she enjoys reading about art, creativity, sports psychology and riding her custom Italian road bicycle.