Five lessons in introducing change in non-profits

A couple of years ago I posted a blog called ‘Common management mistakes in implementing change’. Unfortunately the externally enforced changes the pandemic has imposed on us all at the moment have led to some managers falling into some of those errors: underestimating the need to include people at all stages of the change; failing to create excellent communication about the intent and the execution; and of not recognizing the emotional impact of the ambiguity and complexity that often accompanies change.

After six months of reaction, organisations are beginning to step back and reflect on the demands of this changed new world to think about how best to navigate futures within the new working assumptions. The mechanisms and techniques of creating transformational change have to differ because of our remote working, and clearly how you go about your change has to consider and reflect the environmental distance we all experience now, however; I believe that the fundamental principles of change are just as relevant to this new normal. Use the technology to include people, to allow them a variety of ways to contribute and get involved. Exploit all the fabulous ways you can share your passion and vision for your new journeys. It may even be easier to connect with people personally and invite yourself into their homes as well as work spaces. However you do that there are some positive principles and lessons that you need to consider in any transformation process.

Build the big picture

Include all the pieces from all areas of your organization and all the people who will be impacted by the change. Validate your mission. Are you still relevant and focusing on the priority needs? Create a compelling vision, one that includes sufficient stretch yet is perceived as being achievable by your people. Your vision statement should inspire and connect people. It should fit on a tee shirt but be more substantial than a bumper sticker.

Articulate your guiding principles and values. Values need to touch people and create an almost visceral connection to your mission. Get agreement about high level goals and objectives, then create a road map for long term success, supported by time-bound, budgeted work plans.

Create the narrative

Explain the why, people have to understand the urgency and agree with the problems driving the need for change otherwise they will not invest the effort required for transformation. Help people create internal images of what a successful outcome will look like. You have to create story lines and take every opportunity to tell the story in different situations and through different vehicles. Great stories have a very powerful effect on the brain. A well told story can engage many different areas of the brain including motor, sensory and frontal cortex. With this kind of activation, listeners will experience the same brain activity as the speaker and other listeners. Such neural coupling allows listeners to relate the story to their own ideas and experiences. A story told with passion and commitment can cause the release of dopamine into the system causing the experience of an emotionally charged event that is more powerfully assimilate and embedding memory more easily.

Build trust

Trust is both the lubricant and the superglue that keeps teams and organisations together, but trust does not build itself. It takes thoughtfully designed mechanisms and processes to inform people and allow them to get involved and contribute their ideas about change and its execution. In the absence of information, people tend to make stuff up, and it will never be good. To create trust, leaders need to demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness. Do you tell the truth and all of the truth that people need to hear in order to get behind the change? Are you able to deliver on the promises that you make? Are you consistent, fair and reliable? Do you demonstrate compassion and caring for your staff and constituents even when at times it may clash with desired results? Do you demonstrate integrity about your behaviours and decisions? How open are you in your feedback to others and perhaps more importantly, how open are you to feedback from others? Trust is powerful yet ephemeral. It requires conscious and consistent effort to maintain, even more so in times of change.

Respect the past

Often times change is initiated by a new management team, sometimes the urgency is in response to previous negative opinion on the results or reputation of an organization. Whatever the reason, somethings went well in order for the organization to get where they are. Any change process should strive to take the best of those and recognize the legacy of those you choose to leave behind. Many people drawn to non-profits are driven by relationships, principles and tradition. They respond negatively to things new and different that replaces the past without respect or explanation. Even if you choose the leave the past ways of doing things behind, recognize and respect the efforts and accomplishments of those who contributed to them.

Get beyond the quick wins

People in non-profits can be somewhat skeptical about quick wins. They think if it’s so easy why hasn’t it been done before? It’s important to identify changes and actions that can be implemented as quickly and as easily as possible, but also focus on mid-term achievements towards longer term impact of the new strategy. When you do instigate new ways of doing and being you have to recognized, appreciate and reinforce the new behaviours to ensure they become embedded in the new normal. Measure success and celebrate it. You need continuous motivation to maintain the effort required to transform new behavior into a new culture.

Change may be a constant, but even positive change is stressful and unwelcom by many people. You can enhance early adoption and increase commitment to your change efforts when you make thoughtful decisions about how you introduce and communicate transformation processes in your organization.