The last few years have included a huge number of unexpected changes that have fundamentally changed the way we work, live, and socialize. It was exhilarating for some but frightening and uncomfortable for most people. Why?

According to Isabel Briggs Meyers, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator developer, only 5.5% of humans innately embrace change. The rest find it really hard to cope with change for one reason: Change challenges a biological need to look for patterns and certainty, and the absence of these can trigger anxiety and build resistance. 

Resistance to change can happen in individuals, relationships, or within organizations, and fear of the unknown is at the core of it. In the workplace, it manifests in many forms, such as sarcastic remarks, criticism, or, in the worst case, sabotage.
 
According to research, getting a negative response to anything that falls out of the ordinary is natural. But what if you could get some tools and learn strategies to go through change without any emotional fatigue?

In this article, we will go over the common things that create resistance to change and analyze the change curve to understand the process an individual goes through before accepting any big change in their lives.

Facing an onslaught of daily changes is challenging for anybody, but it’s on managers to help people go through change successfully. The good news is that there are different ways to address resistance to change and get it under control. 

The first step is to understand the causes so you can solve the issue effectively and implement a strategy for similar future scenarios. There are five common reasons for resistance to change.
​

​Does your team trust you and your leadership team? People tend to react to their leadership team more than the change itself. So earning your employees' trust will make it easier for you when a significant change happens in the organization. Otherwise, distrust will exacerbate resistance to change and increase the turnover rates. Distrust may occur if the company makes changes too often, doesn't deliver what it's promised, or employees don't feel valued. And what successful companies have in common is the trust of their employees.
​

Do you effectively communicate with your team? We all know that effective communication is one of the most important leadership skills any manager needs to develop. Sharing information whenever possible, especially when the organization is going through changes, will create a culture of transparency. When there’s no open communication between team members and the leadership team, people lose trust in their managers and resist changes in the company.

Are you properly addressing emotional responses from your team? As humans, we have emotional reactions to change, such as fear, anxiety, worry, and uncertainty. People may not feel comfortable sharing those with their leadership team, but managers still need to address those feelings, otherwise, they can turn into negative comments and sabotage any efforts to build trust among employees.

Do you give your team room to fail? Implementing change in an organization may have a good or bad outcome, so fear of failing is common. Fearing their job security is at risk or their performance review will be impacted makes it hard for people to focus on their jobs, which can have real consequences in the results. But when you let your team learn from mistakes, they can bounce back quickly and get back on track. 

We’ve all heard the saying, “the only constant is change,” but when it comes to businesses, it’s better to space changes out. Every time you introduce a change in your organization, you must ensure everybody is fully adapted before proposing new changes. That also gives you the time to analyze and prove what works and what doesn’t. In addition, a study also suggests that people who went through changes very often showed signs of stress and had less trust in their senior leaders, planned to find new jobs, and reported more health concerns.

Changes in your business strategy are inevitable, especially in unprecedented times. Your communication skills might not be enough to get everyone on board. So how can you help your team face change?

Most organizations focus on systems and processes, assuming people will follow behind and jump aboard. But this isn't always the case. The truth is that people's reactions to change could differ according to severity, sense of personal control and involvement, cultural expectations, and environmental conditions.

At Girard Training Solutions, we use the Kübler-Ross DREC Model to help managers understand the process an individual goes through before accepting any significant change in their lives. This four-stage model allows you to develop an action plan for each step and take the business to complete a successful transformation.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed a model in the 1960s to explain the grieving process and then proposed that it could also apply to any dramatic life-changing situation. That's the one we call the Change Curve, which is a method to help people understand their reactions to significant change.

Today, the model is popularly referred to as the DREC cycle for the four stages people go through in their own personal transition. Once you understand the process individuals experience before accepting big changes, you can develop an action plan for each phase and do what it takes to complete a successful transformation.

People deny change will happen because they don't know or don't like how the change will impact them. It's important to explain why the change must be introduced and ensure everybody receives the same message.

People start to create arguments and barriers to the introduction of the change. They don't believe the change will work and don't trust the leadership. Listen to their ideas and make adjustments to the plan when you can.

People will start looking for their roles in the new system. They appreciate the potential benefits of the change and understand the new opportunities and options. It's during this stage that training makes sense.

The new system becomes "the way we do things around here," and new behaviors are rooted in the organization's culture. People show positive energy, recognize the benefits, and enjoy the challenge.

It's a fact that people experience change in different ways. Some may be more open to it and adapt quickly, but others can create some resistance to the point they may delay any changes you want to implement in your organization.

​Understanding the emotional response change causes in people and learning how to introduce it to your team members will make a difference in the results you get for the new protocols, technologies, or strategies you're trying to establish.

We’ve had several managers throughout our careers, but the ones we remember the most are those who were supportive and understanding at different levels. Those managers who adapt their leadership style to their team’s needs are taking a situational leadership approach.

When your team members have different levels of expertise, they require different management styles. That may sound like common sense, but in practice, it could be a little more challenging for some people. 

The goal of the situational leadership model is to train managers to be more flexible, especially in a rapidly changing business environment, so that they can effectively deal with any issues in their team and organization.

But before we dive into the four development levels and management style proposed by the Situational Leadership Model (SLII®), let me explain what situational leadership is.
​

Managing groups of people with different levels of competence and commitment are what managers deal with on a daily basis. No "one size fits all" leadership style can properly solve every issue they face with their team members.

Great managers know the complexities of working with people. Every person has a different background, personality, learning style, motivators, and experience. Being able to adjust your management style to these variables will make you a great leader.

Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey developed the Situational Leadership Theory (SLII®) in 1969 with the idea of adapting people's management styles to unique situations or tasks to meet the team's and the organization's goals.

This approach provides four management styles; however, only 1% of leaders are proficient in all of them. Research also shows that 54% of leaders use only one leadership style, regardless of the situation, which means that 50% of the time, they use the wrong leadership style to meet the needs of their people. The results: Turnover, disengagement, diminished productivity, missed opportunities, and so on.

How can you fix that? The model provides a framework for leaders to identify the development level of each team member, so they can adapt their management style accordingly. The results: Meaningful connections with your team and better results for your organization.

Here are the four development levels and the leadership style suggested by the SLII® model that will help you direct, support, and empower your employees.
​

​D1 – Enthusiastic Beginner: Low Competence - High Commitment. People who don’t have the skills required for a specific task but are highly motivated. They need clear and precise directions to successfully complete a task.

D2 – Disillusioned Learner: Low to Some Competence - Low Commitment. People who may have some skills but not fully developed. The issue here is they are not engaged with their job, so they need some coaching from their manager to grow their professional skills and engage them in the process.

D3 – Capable, but Cautious, Contributor: Moderate to High Competence - Variable Commitment. People with the required skills and even higher expertise but low confidence to perform their job. They need a manager to help empower them and grow their confidence.

D4 – Self-Reliant Achiever: High Competence - High Commitment. People who may be more skilled than the leader and have a high level of motivation. These team members need little guidance and work independently toward their goals.
​

​These styles respond to the four development levels described above. The goal is for managers to use the corresponding leadership style and the right combination of directive and supportive behaviors to help their team thrive.

S1 – Directing: Focuses on building confidence. Demands high direction, close supervision, and regular guidance. Managers need to be ready to take charge in an emergency.

S2 – Coaching: This is about reconnecting and motivating team members, so managers give constant feedback and collaborate with employees to boost their participation. Requires high performance on directive and supportive behaviors to help people develop or improve their skills.

S3 – Supporting: The goal here is building confidence and competence through low directive and high supportive behaviors so team members participate in planning and decision-making. Every employee is in charge of their area of expertise but also contributes to other corporate projects.

S4 – Delegating: Requires low direction and supervision since team members have a high level of competence and are self-motivated. Managers need to outline the desired results and delegate the authority to perform the job.

When the model is appropriately applied, managers build real connections and meaningful relationships with their team members. Conversations about professional growth are the norm, and engagement and motivation are high, so everyone works towards the company's goals.
​

1. Flexibility 
Leaders adjust their management style according to their people’s needs to perform better. The objective is to bring out the best in the team to achieve corporate goals.

2. Active listener.
To understand and build real connections with their team, leaders need to listen to what they need to do a better job. 

3. A clear sense of direction.
Leaders need to understand the level of direction and support each team member needs and when to take over if needed.

4. The ability to encourage participation.
Leaders create a safe space for everyone to participate, so they build their confidence and expand their experiences.

5. Coaching skills.
​Depending on the development level of the team, leaders need to use a coaching approach to improve their team’s skill set. People will feel supported and empowered to fulfill their roles.

When you, as the manager, take the time to get to know your team and understand their learning styles and motivations, you can adjust your leadership style to get the best out of everyone. That’s what Situational Leadership is all about. You’re not only creating a great culture and workplace, but this will also benefit your career, team, and organization.

Conversations about a global recession keep getting louder, but there’s still a lot of speculation around it. Nevertheless, how should companies respond to the current economic environment? Postponing new projects, freezing the hiring process, and reducing other expenditures such as marketing, research, and training are decisions many businesses make in an attempt to prepare for the upcoming storm.

Yes, Learning and Development (L&D) budgets have suffered from economic downturns in the past. In fact, at the beginning of the pandemic, training became the first victim of budget cuts. But then, the labor shortage came in and pushed HR managers to adjust their talent management towards a multi-skilling approach.

If we’ve learned anything from previous recessions, it’s that they’re typically short-lived and followed by long periods of growth. According to a Harvard Business Review article, the period after World War II is one of the greatest expansionary phases in modern times. It was also the case for the Gulf War recession (1990 to 1991), the dot-com bubble (2000 to 2002), and the Great Recession (2008 to 2009).

Now, the same dilemma comes into the picture in the face of the looming downturn. Is cutting your L&D budgets a smart move during an economic downturn, or should HR managers invest in training and skilling talent?

Let’s explore the reasons for and benefits of investing in training during tough times and what the future holds in the L&D field.

A group of panelists from the Forbes "Building The Workforce of the Future" virtual event talked about the 'skill-first culture,' and how learning and development helps companies to do more with the team they already have.

Despite the never-ending discussion about budget constraints, especially when a recession is around the corner, they listed some reasons to keep investing in your most important asset, your people.

• Close the skill gap: Losing people means losing experience, so training in specific areas can fill the knowledge gap among remaining team members.
• Be innovative: A well-trained and skilled team allows you to focus on new products or services to keep your company competitive and profitable during tough times.
• Successful teams: Training increases engagement and retention rates, so you can forget about recruiting costs.
• Advantage: Maintaining L&D budgets is a chance to gain a competitive edge over your competitors.

Retaining your best talent becomes particularly relevant when you may be limited in resources but still need to drive results to survive hard times. A study by TalentLMS and The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that 76% of employees agree that they are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training.

When your high-performing employees stop receiving those benefits because of budget cuts, they won't find the same value and motivation in their jobs as they did before, and loyalty can be affected. As a consequence, they could leave the company during the economic downturn or when the job market becomes competitive again.

Losing your top talent and highly-driven employees significantly impacts your bottom line. SHRM estimates that replacing an employee costs, on average, 6 to 9 months of their salary. "For an employee making $60,000 per year, that comes out to $30,000 - $45,000 in recruiting and training costs."

The question here is if it's worth it to take short-term measures that will heavily impact the bottom line in the long term.

The same study yielded some interesting findings about HR managers' take on L&D programs and their respective budgets in their organizations. It also gives us a bigger picture of how employees perceive these benefits and how that affects their commitment, performance, and motivation.

Here are the positive findings of the study:

• 51% of managers planned to train existing employees.
• 75% of workers were satisfied with companies that provided training.
• 77% of HR managers said their organizations were likely to offer life skills training.
• 72% of HR managers would invest in mental health and well-being training if they had a higher L&D budget.
• 85% of HR leaders find training beneficial for organizational growth.
• 1 in 2 companies face a skills gap, and half are addressing it by training existing employees.
• Training programs bring companies a 24% higher profit margin than those who don't invest in training.

And here's what HR leaders said about the positive impact of training in different areas of their organization. It's a powerful tool to improve performance, productivity, and engagement and also to build a healthy company culture and employee loyalty.

We’ve seen all the data that confirms how beneficial it is to invest in training during a downturn. However, some businesses will need to make some cuts to recession-proof their operations and survive the post-recession period.

If you’re faced with this decision, you can still take some actions to avoid the long-term impacts of cutting back on your learning and development programs, courtesy of the Association for Talent Development.

• Research alternative ways to keep investing in L&D at a lower cost.
• Carefully choose where to make the cuts so you can still provide some learning experiences.
• Move to virtual or e-learning.
• Focus on a larger audience instead of individuals when creating programs.
• Make sure training programs are aligned with the business goals.

I think we can all agree that the pandemic accelerates changes in different areas of our lives. We witnessed big transformations in organizations, and the way businesses are run. And L&D plays a big role in those changes.

The TalentLMS and SHRM survey asked HR leaders how they expect training programs to evolve in the next five years, and these are the areas they see big changes happening.

• Digital-first workplace
  
• Humanizing work
• Nurturing talent from within
• Diversified workforce
• Employee experience
• Tightening the skills gap
• Personalizing learning experience

Adapting to change, responding to demands, and increasing the expertise and knowledge of your team doesn't necessarily mean expending lots of money. New training methods can bring down expenses, and e-learning is just one good example. Once you understand that development programs impact your bottom line, you'll treat training as an investment rather than an expense.

Building a high-performance team is one of the biggest challenges for new managers. Experience tells you that you will only succeed in such a position if you surround yourself with the right people.

So naturally, you go after highly knowledgeable and skilled people, but that may not be enough. You need to create synergy between team members, so they perform at their best and keep workplace productivity levels high.

However, poor leadership makes even the best teams susceptible to becoming dysfunctional. Patrick Lencioni, an organizational health expert, developed a model to explain how these dysfunctions, as he calls them, cause misunderstandings, create confusion, and impact team morale.

If you want to improve your team's performance, you need to understand the type and level of dysfunction affecting the group. Lencioni establishes five levels, and each must be successfully completed before moving on to the next. You will have created a highly functioning team when all five are sorted out.

Let me show in detail these five levels and how you can overcome the dysfunctions to build your dream team.

This is the main issue to resolve when creating a high-performance team. Lencioni believes that vulnerability is the way to build trust. The lack of trust occurs when team members are unwilling to admit their mistakes, weaknesses, or the need for help. When people feel comfortable sharing anything without fear of retaliation, you will have built a safe place for everyone.

When there's no trust, people don't share their opinions for fear of creating conflict. But debating about key issues is healthy and constructive. Avoiding conflict opens the door to misleading conversations, poor decision-making, a lack of innovative ideas, and lower productivity. The problem with conflict is not creating it but how you deal with it and use it to build strength within the team.

Ambiguity floats around you when your people agree on the surface but don't really commit to general guidance due to a lack of discussion of ideas. Why? Since they're afraid to voice their opinions, their ideas are not included in the decision-making process, and they don't feel represented. And when people don't follow the same directions, even the best talent will feel disengaged.

Individuals who hold each other accountable create successful teams. How will you hold your peers accountable when there are no clear directions? Avoiding accountability is the easy way out, even for the most focused and driven employees. The lack of trust makes these conversations uncomfortable, so people don't want to call out team members on certain actions and behaviors.

It is natural for people to focus on achieving their own needs, but if the group goals are left behind, the team can not be successful. When there's no trust, discussion, clear directions, and accountability, people don't feel motivated and committed to achieving goals. And it's the business that suffers.

Lencioni also shares in his book practical, actionable steps to overcome the five dysfunctions or avoid them in the first place. The result: Productive, cohesive, and effective teams.

If vulnerability is the way to build trust, leading by example is a good start. Ask for feedback and help, and don't be afraid to share your weaknesses and recognize skill deficiencies because your team is there to support you.

Once everyone feels comfortable sharing their weaknesses and understanding each member's unique strengths, the team will be able to fill in for each other's deficiencies and create the synergy needed to be fully productive and successful. Achieving trust won't happen overnight, so be aware that this is ongoing work.

When leaders admit that constructive conflict is necessary, those who tend to avoid it may share their disagreements, and things get resolved quickly. It's important to share with everyone that the goal is to find the best positive solution for the good of the team.

Taking emotion out of the equation and stating facts helps to move things forward and settle any conflict. But, if you leave unresolved issues, people will get the idea that discussing something out in the open has no point and may cause resentment. Encourage team members to engage rather than retreat from healthy debate.

You have built trust among your team so that they positively engage in conflict when they need to, and, in general, you have created a nice work environment. But when looking for a high-performance team, you need total commitment from them. How do you do that? Communicating the business strategy and establishing clear goals ensure everyone makes decisions in the same direction.

Agree on goals, deadlines, deliverables, and milestones and put them in writing. SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound) is a great way to measure progress and commitment from the team. OKRs are another. As the leader, keep track of things, respect dates, and celebrate when the group gives closure to issues.

Accountability is not about finger-pointing but expecting high performance from each member of the group to achieve goals. Holding each other accountable improves their relationships and the team's productivity. Once again, this is only possible if concrete objectives have been established and everyone knows what the others are responsible for to get results. That also allows the team leader to quickly notice when something is missing, address the issue and find a solution.

It's easy to lose sight of the big picture when concentrating on specific tasks, so the leader must remind everyone of the business goals and set the tone for a focus on results. If you have addressed or avoided the other dysfunctions, you have built a highly productive and engaged team. But it never hurts to revisit goals, deadlines, and other commitments to keep everyone on track and motivated to produce the best outcomes.

Based on Lencioni's model, if a leader builds trust, encourages healthy debate, creates concrete objectives, holds the team accountable, and keeps the end goal in mind, they will be able to build an effective team. The key to success is acknowledging your team's human nature and addressing issues right away instead of leaving things for later.

When you start a management position, all you hear is how you need to build a solid and high-performance team. True, but there's a misconception that you should only apply your leadership skills to your direct subordinates.

A management role goes beyond running a team and delegating tasks. Working towards your organization's goals and getting results that move the needle is the big picture that anyone in a leadership position should be looking at.

How do you do that? You need to expand your influence upward and horizontally. I know what you're thinking. Leading a team is challenging as it is, so why would you deal with your peers and boss on top of that? Managing your boss and your colleagues is not only good for the company, it also helps your career development plans.

McKinsey & Company researched this theory and proved that mobilizing CEOs and peers increase business impact and career success. When CEOs get honest feedback from trusted executives, they can sharpen the company strategy. And when managers engage with their counterparts in other business units, they are exposed to a wide range of perspectives and bring innovative ideas.

In this article, we will share some tactics to get you started on a 360-degree management style.

Becoming a manager doesn't mean you need to solve everything by yourself. You have a team, but you also have a boss. Being afraid that your manager is too busy to help you figure out a few things won't get you far on your objectives and your career.

The first rule to manage your superiors is to keep communication open so you can share the issues you're dealing with. Don't be afraid to ask for advice; at the end of the day, that's technically part of their job description. Aligning your goals with your boss's agenda is also part of this process, a trick that will contribute to the company's overall performance.

Let's remember that this is not only about assigning duties. If you want results from your team, you need to provide guidance and clear direction; otherwise, you won't achieve your goals. Hiring the right people will make it easier for you. When you trust your team, micromanagement is not a problem, and giving feedback becomes a positive exercise. Frequently recognizing and rewarding good work and small wins is also a helpful management trait that will drive engagement, performance, and retention rates.

You may not report to other business units, but building a collaborative culture with other areas positively impacts the organization. Exchanging ideas and concerns with other managers sparks creativity and gives you another perspective to solve problems. Creating the habit of communicating widely about important projects and working jointly to attack strategic issues is a good start.

According to McKinsey’s research, only 56 percent of CEOs described their marketing leaders as role models who lead from the front, and only 61 percent of CMOs said they use their storytelling skills. McKinsey suggests that, if used, those skills will serve the purpose of mobilizing and engaging colleagues to deliver tangible results.

Leadership skills and behaviors needed to mobilize the CEO and colleagues are often mutually reinforcing. It's the balance between power and influence that will advance the organization's strategy. But when is it best to use power and influence in a 360 management approach? Let's start by stating the differences.

There's much more to management than authority and power. When we talk about leadership, influencing people is an ability you must develop if you want to generate consistent results. Earning their trust and respect won't be easy when you only use power to lead your team. Yes, there are situations where you need to use your authority, but if you've been building a high-performing and loyal team, they will gladly receive it.

In a variety of management styles, finding the perfect balance of power and influence is a true leadership skill. Let's go over the difference between these two abilities.

Power is the capacity to impose your authority and make others comply in the particular way you want. People may not agree with you or believe that's the best choice, but they act because they're motivated by a reward or scared to face the consequences if they don't.

Influence, on the other hand, is the ability to change people's opinions, beliefs, and behaviors. But you don't tell people what to do; people follow your lead because they trust you. Influencing someone is a personal skill that requires persuasion and inspiration.

Using power when needed is not a bad thing at all. In any leadership role, there will be times when you'll need to impose your authority. When something unexpected happens, for example, you need to make quick decisions and take immediate action. You don't have time to influence your team, so enforcing your power, in this case, is beneficial. You are the manager for a reason, and that's the time to prove your knowledge and skills.

But on a daily basis, having a positive influence on your team, boss, and colleagues has a lasting impact on your organization and professional reputation. Reaching that position takes time and effort, but studies have proved that it helps you increase engagement and retention and improve the overall employee experience.

If transitioning to a management role feels too big for you to handle, you're not alone. Moving from individual contributor to team leader is exciting as you create new opportunities for your professional growth. It's also challenging as most people don't anticipate the extra responsibilities and struggles they might face.

These struggles, though, represent the norm, not the exception, even for the most talented individuals in your organization. And when a high-performance contributor fails to adjust to a management position, the company suffers significant human and financial costs. So why don't organizations pay more attention to preparing their people for the new role?

Stepping up as a manager requires additional skills to lead your team and improve their performance, make decisions, and take responsibility when things don't go as planned. The transition is difficult, but there are numerous strategies to help people develop for the new position and ensure a smooth transition.

Training is the best approach to understanding the goals and expectations of such roles, so taking advantage of any development opportunity will set you up for success. If you don't know where to start, you will find practical advice here to make a better transition to management. But let's first find out first why the transition to management is so challenging.