If you are a team leader and you want your team to try a new way of doing things, then you are probably going to face a challenge. The challenge is: Humans naturally tend to resist change. If your team is composed of humans, then they will probably resist trying your new way of doing things.
In business, change threatens the comfortable stability of the status quo. Change often renders skills and knowledge obsolete, forcing employees to learn something new. Change also brings risk: What if it doesn’t work? What if the change makes my job harder?
Yet change brings opportunities for growth and discovery. Change is also the antidote to the problems inherent in the status quo. More to the point, in business the future belongs to companies that thoughtfully embrace change, they will be the ones that evolve to keep up with the shifting demands of the marketplace.
But let’s return to your team. How can you make the transition easier for your team? You must find a way to help the team see the positive side of the changes you are bringing. Let’s talk about some ways to do that.
Start at the End
You have not changed the team’s goal. You are still in business, still working on the same project with the same objective. Begin in this familiar space with your team; then show them that you are offering a new path to get to the same destination. Make every effort to view things through their eyes. You need them to join you – so the burden is on you to show them why they should do that.
You must show (without bias) that the pros and cons of the change offer a better overall choice than the pros and cons of the status quo. If you make this case legitimately and do so in a way that connects with the team (i.e. it makes sense from their point of view), then you’ve made a good start.
Tell the Truth
You don’t have all the answers. Stating this fact is a powerful way to begin building trust. State some more facts: you need your team’s help, you have some things to learn, you are worried about making the right decisions. Go ahead and tell the truth about the project too: Where do things stand? Is there a good plan? Is there enough budget and time to accomplish the work? What are the biggest challenges? Re-state that you don’t have all the answers but add that you are ready to do everything you can to help the team execute the project successfully.
Make a Contract
The workplace culture you establish represents a kind of contract between you and your team. Your part is to build the environment, enforce the rules and direct the team. If you do your part, the team should do theirs: Earnestly strive to follow your direction and do the best work they can to achieve the goal. Ideally, this contract will evolve and strengthen as your shared experience grows. As mutual trust deepens, your team will be able to make bolder decisions, to take risks, and to commit wholeheartedly to the success of the project.
You don’t have to verbalize this agreement. It is usually enough just to know it is there.
Empower Them
It may be hard at first, but you must let employees do most of the work. Not just their individual tasks, but also the work of achieving the project goal. Your job as the leader is to define the goal and share it with your team. Once you’ve set the right goal, one that your team believes in, your team will work to achieve it. But you must trust them, provide support and encouragement, remove obstacles, and – sometimes – stay out of their way.
If you inform and empower them, the people on your team will act independently to help drive the project toward the goal – in fact, it will be hard to stop them. Do your part by keeping score and praising their contributions. You will see results very quickly.
Summary
Each step outlined above adds trust and strengthens your relationship with the team, aligning you to a common goal. Each step requires you to invest your time and effort to thoughtfully deliver your message to the team. When meeting as a team, in a group or one-on-one you must conduct yourself with a mix of confidence, courage, and humility.
Leading a team is a big, complex, and important job. But here’s the key: You succeed when your team succeeds. Period. Thus, successful team leadership is all about making the people on your team successful. You must focus on your people. That is what People-Focused Leadership is all about.