Change Management
"Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change."
-Tony Robbins
When we perceive change as a threat it can lead to distress because we experience the demands posed by our environment to be too taxing, and we feel we are being forced to go beyond our limits or capacity to cope. This isn't necessary!
When we experience change as a challenge, for example, as an interesting opportunity to learn or do something new, this is when we are more likely to experience positive stress because the new environmental demands seem within our abilities and limits. Strive for this!
NWS Transformational Change with a Growth Mindset!
NWS is transforming to better support our employees and partners. As we undergo this transformation, it may cause uncertainty and stress.
Through Mindful NOAA, in collaboration with the NOAA OCFO, a webinar was held that explored approaches, practices and resources to help navigate change and employee well-being and positive workplace culture.
The NWS Priorities and Actions for the future means we will be embarking on
Transformational Change!
Transformation Change requires a Growth Mindset.
Change is inevitable and it’s a part of life and we have to be okay, as individuals and organizations, that it will happen. A growth mindset will help to lessen the burden of seeing change as scary and unwanted to instead, viewing it as an opportunity to do something different and potentially great! It is in the growth period that innovation and new ways of thinking surface, with the potential to positively alter your office or organization! Have feedback on these priorities or other topics, check out “The Ken Connection”.
Strategies that will help you develop a Growth Mindset that will help you persist and thrive through change.
Try reframing your thinking to view change as a challenge, not a threat
Celebrate moments of progress during the change — including baby steps
Give yourself permission to start experimenting along the way
Learn from peers who seem to model the growth mindset well
Look for ways to lead by example, even if you aren’t always confident
Successful Change Management Techniques
Change Managment Techniques
For successful change management within an office or entire agency, our people must come first - they must buy in:
For change to take root…
Inspire Purpose: Our people have to be inspired through purpose; the transformation needs to connect with a deeper sense of purpose for people
Role Mode: Our management teams have to be all in through role modeling; it is about initiatives that will enable success and drive growth, actions that will fundamentally change the way the org/office operations; investments to develop the leadership and talent
Inclusivity: Our management teams have to illustrate inclusive leadership; everyone involved, welcome, heard, comfortable to share opinions, etc.
Growth: Our management teams have to foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and innovation; change is constant; whole office concept; internal competition - shifted to a learning culture - from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset (listen, learn and bring out the best in people)
Tools: Our people have to be given the proper tools to succeed; enable the capabilities; different training to adopt along the way; employees won’t feel overwhelmed by the transformation when we provide resources they need; employees will feel more empowered and energized to help!
Keep in mind...
Every employee needs to understand that there are new priorities that really matter. These priorities need to be easily recallable, sticky ideas that make complete sense with everything else going on and get people thinking in new ways. They need to appear desirable, as well as feasible. Without those three factors, people will not pay sufficient attention to a change.
The harder work, involves building true habits that support these priorities. Building habits take time and attention, it doesn’t happen by just wanting to.
Involves systems that support everything, to keep the priorities and habits alive. As a simple example, you can get people to want to be healthier, but to do so they have to actually go and exercise, and that’s much easier if you give them a gym to use and get them to schedule this in their calendars ahead of time.
Article Reference for Changing Culture
Additional Article: How To Get Your Team on Board with a Major Change
