Emotions impact our behaviour

Many management teams believe that we should avoid emotional displays as much as possible and act rational. Of course, it is beneficial for leaders and managers to keep one’s anger and fear under control. But leaders that do not express feelings such as empathy and gratitude can be viewed as shallow and calculated.

Develop a nourishing environment

An environment where people can put forward their ideas freely and without fear is a nourishing environment. Organisations can change and adapt quickly when people can contribute to the growth of the organisation.

Most people have no problem with change

It is a misunderstanding the people resist to change. Some people are more unable to change, than they resist to it. Change is part of our daily live. At PragmaticMinds create a new corporate context where people can show new behaviour. You have no impact on the intrinsic motivation of people, but you have impact on the environment that your people must work in, and whether it is a stimulating and enriching environment.

Take resistors seriously, but don’t let them intoxicate your organisational culture.

Cynicism about change involves a real loss of faith in the leaders of change and is a response to a history of change attempts that are not entirely or clearly successful. (Reichers, Wanous, Austin, 1997). Instead of panicking, you should express willingness to employ methods to best engage the cynics and the root causes of their feelings.

Change is a non-linear process

Change has with many iterations and set-backs. Managers sometimes get uncomfortable when progress is not immediately visible. Be attentive for small changes and initiatives that are early signs for organisational change. Engage regularly with your employees in bi-directional communication. As Carl Rogers puts it, true change is a process, not a state of being. It has a direction, but there is no destination.

Everybody is a change agent

People are not just products of their environment; they have a deep-rooted desire and capacity to self-regulate their behaviour and to participate in crafting the world around them based on their present needs and hopes for the future. (Albert Bandura). Organisational change is only successful if it embraced simultaneously on three levels: the organisation, the leadership and the employees.