Leading And Managing in Times of Change
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. ”
— Helen Keller

Change is a constant in today's organizations. "Leading change ” is defined as -- clearly communicating the need for change and gaining employees’ commitment to it.

How can you, the leader, play an effective role in making your organization change ready?

  • Demonstrate flexibility
  • Be willing to embrace change
  • Communicate candidly the impact of the proposed change on the people involved

Many business leaders recognize the necessity to change, yet still have great difficulty dealing with it.Problems usually occur as a result of underestimating what constitutes successful changes, many of which go beyond structural or operational modifications. These require managers and leaders to create conditions which enable employees to reexamine the business and how they do their daily work -- not an easy task!

Embracing new ideas, attitudes, and approaches to work that contend with time-honored practices requires more than change management. It requires “change leadership ”. Successful change leaders understand and pay attention to the two dynamics of change:

“Change ” is an external event that is focused on an end result or an outcome.Change Management refers to the endless number of initiatives the organization is undertaking in order to ensure the business’ strategy works: the new technologies; restructuring; new products or processes; mergers, etc.

“Transition ” goes on inside people in response to the actual change event(s), and is highly personal. Transition Management refers to the “people side ” of the process: intentionally assisting employees to let go of the old ways, moving through the confusing time between the old and the new, and ensuring a successful new beginning.

Successful change and transition management follow a few simple “rules ”. Pay attention to these , and you dramatically increase your chances of having a successful outcome:

  • Have an unambiguous purpose and balanced goals
  • Have clear, committed sponsorship and leadership
  • Employ a “customer-focused ”, collaborative, and user-friendly process
  • Create commitment and organizational capability to carry out your strategies
  • Plan your implementation carefully and follow through

Sixty-four percent of the executives in an Arthur D. Little study cited lack of buy-in to the fact that change is necessary as the largest barrier to change. Creating change is a bit like creating an infectious disease. You want a lot of people to "catch the bug ” so they will spread it to other people.

AdVantage Consulting, through a combination of customized training and interventions, can help you and your employees understand how to:

  • Grasp the implications of change for your organization
  • Understand the dynamics of change and the many roles involved in the process
  • Become familiar with the organizational and human factors involved in change
  • Apply tools and techniques for maintaining productivity in the midst of change
  • Create a flexible, change ready organization!!


"We all have the joy of choice. We can either be a victim of change, or a participant in it. One holds you, the other frees you." - Anonymous