Supporting your team through change

by | Business EQ, Change, Coaching, Development, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Personal Development, Resilience, Team Development

Improving Team Performance

Are you leading your team through a period of change? Will that change impact on you as well as members of your team?

I remember one of my colleagues saying to me that managing organisational change and its impact on others while also dealing with the impact on herself was one of the most challenging things she had ever done.

It is important to acknowledge your own needs as well as those of others.

As a leader you may find that the reaction of team members to proposed change will differ widely:

  • Some may be excited by change, whereas other may be over whelmed by it.Supporting your team through change
  • Some may be keen to get on with it, whereas others may want to think it through
    first.
  • Some may focus on the detail and others will only be interested in the bigger
    picture.
  • Some will look towards the tasks to be completed whereas other will be more
    concerned about the impact upon themselves and others.
  • Some will want to see clear plans, others will be comfortable with a more flexible
    approach.

 

So we have been thinking through how the personality of your team members will influence their needs at times of change:

(helped by the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)!)

  1. We will all feel some emotion at times of change but there will be some difference in reaction.
  2. Extroverts will generally want to hear about the change via a conversation, ideally face to face or verbally via technology and to have the opportunity to discuss it.
  3. Introverts will prefer to have written information to consider before they talk about the change with anyone.
  4. Individuals with a sensing preference will want practical detail. Intuitive types will take a longer term, big picture perspective.
  5. Possibly the aspect that will most clearly show differences in reaction to change depends on whether the individual has a thinking or a feeling preference. Those with a thinking preference will want to understand the rationale for the change and that it is being handled fairly. Those with a feeling reference will be primarily concerned with the impact that it will have on them and others.
  6. Some people will want to see a clear plan and for it to be implemented to a definite timeline. Others will have a more relaxed approach and are comfortable with tweaks to the plan as it is delivered.

So how can we use this?

Being aware of and understanding each individual team member’s personality type can help them to work together but just an awareness that there will be differing needs helps to involve all. For instance, communicating both verbally and in writing, giving a clear indication of the long-term aim while giving enough detail to satisfy those who need some.

 

You may also find our previous blog about supporting individuals through change to be of interest.

For more information on how we support individuals and teams through change please contact viv.walton@deardenassessment.co.uk

We are able to provide psychometric assessment to help you to understand individual’s personality preferences using either the Myers Briggs Type Indicator or the Emotions and Behaviour at Work Team Assessment.