At the Heart of Change Management

Change management is one of those semi-euphemistic terms that means different things to different people, but at the heart of it is the acceptance that change is a constant and that there are better and worse ways to enact and experience it. For many folks at Collabry, change is the reason that they became consultants, whether due to work or life circumstances pressing the need for greater flexibility or a change in career goals. For Sean Giblin, his own path to becoming a sought-after change management consultant had a bit of irony to it after he was laid off. Having previously been on the other side of the equation working as an internal change management expert in the acquisition of new companies, he suddenly found himself on the outside with a completely different perspective. Here, he shares his reflections on his own journey, why change management is so important for business, and why it goes well beyond business. 

In Sean’s words: 

My own career path took an unexpected turn when my company was acquired. After years of leading acquisitions, I am humbled to say I had a new appreciation of the chaos and uncertainty that comes from such a moment. Fortunately, I had the frameworks, vocabulary, and tools to navigate the situation and see the potential for reinvention, to fully realize that this would not be the only change (professionally or in life), and that a mindset of continuous evolution was the only way to survive and thrive moving forward. Was it easy? No. Am I grateful for what it has enabled me to bring to the work I do now? Absolutely. 

People who know me know I can talk about change management strategy all day. It is truly a passion. When I speak to executives and colleagues, I most often get variations of the following three questions: 

1. Why is the human element so important? Aren’t really good instructions enough?

Really good instructions and documentation are critical. Without them, confusion and anxiety will increase. But they are not a substitute for the empathy, support, and sense of purpose that people need to navigate transitions successfully. 

People go through change at different rates, just like they learn at different rates and in different ways. For some, reading instructions will be adequate. Others need a forum to discuss issues and/or want hands-on training for new tools, etc. 

The ultimate goal is a smooth transition for greater efficiency, whether that be less time spent addressing issues, more focus on the new objectives, or greater employee engagement and satisfaction. 

2. What does it mean to “empower” a team? 

We hear this word a lot, and I want to boil it down to “culture.” Empowering a team means providing them with the space to feel valued and heard and encouraged to contribute their unique talents to the organization’s success. While this isn’t only a function of change management, it’s also part of an ongoing model that enables and embraces constant change. 

Part of empowerment is leaving room to fail, or the “fail fast” model. When employees are afraid to voice ideas or try new things, innovation comes to a standstill. This is not good for business or employee engagement. 

Conversely, celebrate the wins! Even, especially, the small wins. 

3. What is the single most important thing I can do as a leader? 

Lead with empathy. It’s not just about being “nice.” It’s about understanding the emotional impact of change on your people and creating a supportive environment where they can thrive. Related, it’s also about really listening. With change, there is a tendency to consider it as a top-down exercise when the reality is that every touchpoint is affected. Listen to the people on the front lines to learn how the changes affect their work and be open to feedback and adaptations. Lastly, communicate. These three things — empathy, listening, and communication — are intertwined, and as a trio they are so powerful during times of transition. 

Certainly there are many clichés about change because it is the only thing that persists, along with the natural human resistance to it. In our rapidly evolving world, we don’t need to be reminded that everything changes, but rather have the resources to handle it well. Collabry was created to address a life change and grew during the pandemic, a world change. We continue to evolve ourselves, and we are grateful to people like Sean for sharing their expertise to serve our clients.