How to Focus on People During Change
Posted on 22. Feb, 2011 by Shawn Murphy in Change In Action, People & Change, Strategy & Change
I’m an unabashed advocate for a much-needed shift in how leaders show up to inspire people in this post-Great Recession era (The New Normal). The complication of my advocacy is helping people understand how to lead newly in the New Normal.
Well, I am thrilled to share with you a book that does just that – Heather Stagl’s 99 Ways to Influence Change. If you’re tired of banging your head against the proverbial wall because change isn’t sticking, then 99 Ways will show you how to invite collaboration into your change effort.
There’s a common thread that is woven throughout the 99 ways – it’s people. Heather reinforces that change is about people. And the change leader’s role is to help people accept, advocate, get unstuck, be informed, or move on.
I plan to use the book to help plan and reignite change programs with our clients at Achieved Strategies. I invite you to do the same.
One last thing before I explain how you can get a free copy – it’s my favorite thing about the book: Heather includes a range of change approaches from inclusive to edgy. Here area few of my favorites
On the inclusive end:
- Provide feedback – Find creative opportunities to let teams, individuals, and the organization know how change is progressing. Heather’s approach made me think about using video to give status updates to the organization. The updates would come from individual contributors up to senior managers. Different approach from the written word.
- Show others are doing it – Create vicarious experiences showing how good things are for others who have already made the change.
On the edgy end:
- Ridicule – Really? Really. This approach should be used carefully, but can be very effective when used with a group or team whose members are familiar to you. You must know the people, and the intent isn’t coercive.
- Generate scarcity – Seems manipulative. Heather, though, shows how to use it effectively. I like this approach for a short-term radical change. Imagine removing access to a tool that has exceeded its usefulness, but used as a crutch because it’s familiar. Tough love, but effective. Just be sure people know what you’re doing and prepare them for the removal of the tool.
How to get a free copy
I have three copies to give away to our readers. Here’s how you can get a copy.
- The first three people who explain how they’d use Heather’s book gets a copy. The key here is to explain how you’ll use the book.
- General comments don’t count.
So, below, share how you’d use the book. You just may win a free copy of this important book.
Thank you, Heather, for sharing your experience and wisdom with us!
15 Responses to “How to Focus on People During Change”
Leave a Reply
-
We Don’t Need to Change the World
-
4 Ways to Recover after Being a Jerk
-
One Belief that Separates Great Leaders from Good Ones
-
I Want My Life to Count for Something
-
Inspire. Don't Wait for Upper Management.
-
Page Cole: Great post Shawn, and thank you! I don't know if ...
-
Suchitra Mishra (@suchimishra): Hello Shawn, Loved following your blog and lear...
-
Alan Kay: It's so true...the waiting game. Part of the issue...
-
Jon M: Great job, Shawn! Look forward to what is ahead fo...
-
Robyn McMaster: Thanks, Sean, for such an inspiring post. It's ...
Tweets that mention How to Focus on People During Change -- Topsy.com
22. Feb, 2011
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mike Henry Sr., Jennifer Navarro, TNM Coaching, Martin Haworth PCC, Resilience in Change and others. Resilience in Change said: How to Focus on People During Change http://bit.ly/gjxUat [...]
Sonia Di Maulo
22. Feb, 2011
Hi Shawn!
Great post and giveaway!
How would I use the book: 99 Ways to Influence Change?
I agree that it’s about people. I also agree that it’s about communication. And I am always on the lookout for better, new, radical ways to “influence change” and communicate and celebrate the change!
Like you, I would use the ideas in the book to provide my clients (current and future) interesting and effective ways to cultivate trust and collaboration. I will also refer my Train-the-Trainer students to the book and the insights provided to help make organizations places on ongoing positive change.
Most importantly I will use the ideas at home and with my family. Continuing to encourage all people in my path to be accountable and to Lead Change!
Hard to be more specific than that without actually reading the book… I truly am intrigued, especially with the recommendations provided on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Influence-Change-Heather-Stagl/dp/0557764637
Sonia
Shawn Murphy
25. Feb, 2011
Sonia,
You are a proud owner of Heather Stagl’s book! I’m emailing you info and tweeting about your winning, too! Congrats.
Heather Stagl
22. Feb, 2011
Shawn,
Thank you so much for sharing my book!
I thought I would provide an example of how someone is actually using 99 Ways to Influence Change, to spark ideas for your readers on how they might use it:
One of my clients is a Project Director, and his project team is using the book during their implementation. As they consider the key people they need to influence, the team has gone through and assigned the methods from the book they think will work best for each one.
As I wrote the book, I imagined a frustrated change agent picking up the book to get ideas for getting unstuck. With 99 Ways, there’s always something else you haven’t tried!
All my best,
Heather
Shawn Murphy
25. Feb, 2011
Hi Heather,
Your book is a great trigger to help PMs, consultants, managers, executives, front-line supervisors, and individuals to help make change a reality.
Thank you for inviting us to share your book with our readers.
Shawn
Karen
22. Feb, 2011
Great review! The books sounds great.
How would I use the book?
We’ve gone through a particularly hard time the 18 months at my job and we are now going through a lot of transitions and duty changes. The hardest part has been to rebuild trust between staff members and leadership, so I’d be really interested in what this book has to offer as far as helping us move forward together as a team so we can be more effective as an organization. With all of the uncertainty and chaos, it’s been hard to get much done.
I choose to look at the changes as a great opportunity to do things differently and better than before. This book looks like it will offer great ways to jump start our stagnant organization, as well as offer us some great examples and good ideas to help work through this time of transition.
Shawn Murphy
25. Feb, 2011
Hi Karen,
Congratulations. You are the second winner of Heather’s book. I’ll be emailing you to coordinate sending you your free copy.
Shawn
Page Cole
22. Feb, 2011
Here’s how I would use it!!! I would use one idea per week with my staff, & have a competition to see who came up with the most creative way to influence change using the principle of the week, offering a prize to the winner!!!
Shawn Murphy
25. Feb, 2011
Hi Page,
You are our final winner of this contest. Thank you for sharing how you’d use the book. I’ll be emailing you to coordinate sending your free copy of Heather’s book.
Shawn
Heather Stagl
25. Feb, 2011
Page,
I LOVE this idea!
Heather
Steve Martin - theThinkShack
23. Feb, 2011
Shawn,
I can think of three uses for this book and hope to get the chance to have some fun:
1) First, as a lean leader, I’m always interested in learning new things. I would use this book to freshen my knowledge regarding influencing change. I really like Heather’s comment about using the book to get ‘unstuck’…I’ve been there!
2) I’m very close to landing my next lean opportunity…this time – lean healthcare (exciting!). I would use 99 Ways to Influence Change as a ‘discussion tool’ to better learn how my new boss is thinking, and to understand/confirm what has worked successfully in the past, and hopefully discover new ideas to pursue together.
3) Lastly, our church is undergoing some very exciting changes. Seems like a unique book that I could use to foster common ground and encourage the leadership to try some new ideas.
Books like this reinvigorate my desire to help folks change for the better!
Heather Stagl
25. Feb, 2011
Steve,
Three great ways to use the book! In fact, just yesterday I spoke to a group of people leading change in churches, and they were excited to hear about the book. With its focus on people, the book is applicable in a variety of settings.
It looks like the 3 winners of the book have been selected. I hope you will consider getting your copy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Influence-Change-Heather-Stagl/dp/0557764637
Best wishes on your new endeavor! I look forward to hearing about it.
Heather
Sonia Di Maulo
23. Feb, 2011
Heather,
That is a great example! Thank you for sharing it.
Sonia
Guido Heijman
24. Feb, 2011
Hello Heather
As a curriculum manager of Intercollege Business School (a university of applied sciences in the Netherlands) I’d recommend it my colleagues and management to keep them focused on challenges and opportunities universities meet in the Netherlands. There is a fierce competition between the univeristies and we like to be ahead.
The second reason to use your book is to give our students insight information about change management during the change management module, the most exciting module we have on our university! Students love to hear practical and useful theories which are proven into practice!
It would be great to receive a free copy of your book
Guido Heijman
Intercollege Business School
The Netherlands
Heather Stagl
25. Feb, 2011
Guido,
I’ll send you an e-mail to find out the best way to get one to The Netherlands!
Thanks for your interest in the book.
Heather