7 Principles for Leaders in Managing Transition

1. Deal in facts not rumours

• Learn all you can about the Changes ahead and communicate the facts to your team

2. Maintain open 2 way communication
- Ask open ended questions to encourage discussion and build relationships within your team/organisation.
- Examples of open-ended questions include:
- How are you doing?
- Would you like to talk about it?
- Now that you’ve had time to think about it, what are you feeling?
- Maintain / Increase your presence
- Stay visible. Consider the following ways to maintain presence with your team or organisation:

3. Keep the focus on objectives and on performing meaningful work
- Regularly coach and follow-up on work assignments
- Maintain your regular staff meeting schedule
- Consider additional meetings to ensure prompt communication of latest pertinent information. Make sure that your team don’t hear key information from others outside the team.
- Set up 1:1 meetings with direct reports, or spend more time managing by walking around
- Maintain close contact with your boss, ensuring that you have the most up-to-date information
- Repeat key messages. Even if it feels like you are over-communicating or repeating yourself. It allows your people to hear and process messages when they are ready and it promotes clarity and consistency in understanding.

4. Be Self Awarer
Understand your own feelings so that you can better empathise with your team members’ thoughts and feelings. Being self aware can help you anticipate employee reactions and plan a suitable response.

5. Anticipate what you can’t planr
Use your knowledge of your team to help you anticipate their needs. Tailor your communication to match what you already know.

6. Do what you say you are going to dor
Model the behaviour that you would like your team to match. When faced with an emotional situation, be empathetic, act very calm and lower your voice. Watch your body language

7. Take advantage of resources available to your
You may be part of a larger organisation but even if you’re not there are many tools and resources at your disposal to help you communicate and assist your team during organisational change. External consultants, External advice organisations such as ACAS, internet resources, business link, your contacts and support network etc.