Welcome to this episode of Jack Chat and another tiny lesson in leadership, straight up.
In this episode, I’m going to perform some magic…I’m going to look into this crystal ball to make a prediction… aha! I see something! I see that you are living in the aftermath of a poorly managed change.
Sadly, this is just a paperweight. But my prediction is likely correct. Why? Because all too often, organizations fail to stick the landing when it comes to managing change. They leave people stuck in the messy middle of change.
Trust me, this is one of those places you don’t want to be stuck in, like in a middle seat on an international flight, or in an elevator stopped between floors. You know the feeling – just waiting for the next thing to happen that will make it all better.
All that “stuckness” erodes people’s feelings of empowerment and ownership of their work.
btw… empowerment and ownership are the bedrock of accountability.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can do better.
How? Well… leadership, of course.
Specifically, leaders who are skilled at helping others navigate the messy middle. And that means helping them deal with the losses people experience as a result of change.
Here are some self-reflection questions to get you thinking about your skills for leading in the messy middle:
- What have people on my team lost as a result of change in our organization?
- How well do I understand the impact of those losses?
- How might I acknowledge those losses and help move people forward?
Give those questions some thought…and join me again for another chat!