The world is changing faster than ever, and we need teams to be embracing change. But many people are slow to change, reluctant to change, or resistant to change. If that’s true for your team, maybe YOU are the problem! Many leaders unintentionally say and do things that create a change-resistant culture. Recognise these words and actions, and replace them with a new mindset and behaviour that encourages change and adaptability.
Are you, as a leader, getting in the way of making progress for your team and maybe even for your organisation? You might be doing it unintentionally, but it still stops and slows down change.
In a recent online presentation about the future of AI, I asked people to share their biggest questions and challenges about AI. Some were about the future of AI and what’s ahead, but by far the biggest obstacle that many people are facing is slow adoption of AI at work.
They said things like:
“We’re blocked from using AI.”
“I feel like I’m the only one who’s interested in it.”
“It’s not part of our policy.”
“It’s not your job.”
These are common frustrations – not only with AI, but with change in general.
The problem is, many leaders and managers are unintentionally saying things that stop or hold back change in their teams.
Have you ever said anything like this to your team members?
“It’s not part of your job.”
“We tried that once, but it didn’t work.”
“It’s against our policy.”
“Our customers won’t like it.”
When you say these things, it’s for a good reason: You want to protect your team, keep the organisation safe, ensure projects stay on track, and so on.
But you might also be creating a culture that resists change.
If someone comes to you with an idea and you say, “It’s not part of your job”, they might feel discouraged. They might try again and get a different objection. After a while, they will stop.
As a leader, it’s a tough balance to strike. On one hand, you have a responsibility to the organisation to stay on track, protect its reputation, and remain productive. On the other hand, you also have a responsbitiliy to create a culture of change. With so much change happening in the world, your team needs to be ready to embrace it.
So, how do you remove obstacles to change while still meeting goals, KPIs, and customer expectations?
Of course, I can tell you to just stop saying these things! But it’s not as easy as that. Instead, look for reasons why those things – while they might have been true in the past – might not be as appropriate now.
In other words, find objections to the objections.
To help you with this, download my worksheet about creating obstacles to change – and how to overcome them. It’s a useful and fun activity to use with your team to tackle these objections – even before you raise them.
This is especially useful right now, as many leaders are planning for the year ahead. As you plan for the future, don’t only think about strategies and goals. Also consider the behaviours you want to encourage in your team – and yourself!
