Let Employees Tell Their Own Stories About Change

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Conventional approaches to change management urge leaders to set a vision and cascade it down the organization. This may save time, but it misses an important point: When people make their own decisions, they are more dedicated to what follows.
The energy needed to drive change comes through a sense of ownership over the answer. Instead of dictating how the organization will evolve, take a high-involvement approach. Describe the problem you are trying to solve and then ask others how they would address it. During these discussions, roughly lay your vision, but ask employees how they picture the change taking place. This takes time and effort of course. But the payoff is huge.

Adapted from “Increase Your Team’s Motivation Five-Fold” by Scott Keller.

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