06.30.17
Change Happens (and 3 Tips How to Manage It)
Tammy Y. Allen, Marketing & Programs Director, The NIIC
Few things are more predictable than change. This is true in both our personal and professional lives. It’s the new normal. Success, then, requires being nimble and pivoting when necessary. Entrepreneurs know this well, and we see it often at The NIIC.
We are excited by both the promise and potential of some significant changes in our WEOC Program. There’s a change in leadership, which means we’ll have an interim director to lead through September (end of this grant year). We’ll also hire new WEOC staff to better serve, train, coach and mentor.
With change, comes the opportunity to pivot into something better. We’re exploring a new business model for next year to better serve the women in our region. Including, but not limited to, reducing our geographic footprint, tightening our program offerings, finding more ways to connect and engage with our clients and fine-tuning how we deliver new value at the various stages a business and the team goes through during its lifecycle.
Our clients remain at the heart of what we do, regardless of who’s at the helm, and how the program evolves. The message is simple and sincere: we are passionate about women entrepreneurs and serving them in our community.
Companies who evolve through change stay relevant, sustainable and tend to enjoy positive outcomes. So, how can YOU manage through change at your business? Here are 3 tips (in no particular order) you can apply today to your business:
1. Understand and lean into the problem. This is the most critical step to addressing it. Wishful thinking about these issues can set capable teams on a course fraught with roadblocks, second-guessing and frustration. Instead, track to results using such tools like SWOT analysis or other tried and tested tools to survey the landscape. Measurable and trackable outcomes are the only way to go.
2. Place the right people in the right roles. As Jim Collins in Good to Great says, get the right people on the bus. Often companies employ highly capable people, then set them to work in roles in which their skills and strengths weren’t designed for the task at hand. Ensure your team members feel like they are adding value.
3. Be authentic and honest about change. Provide employees the right information at the right time and get their input and feedback. You really cannot over-communicate in times of rapid change or growth.
We at The NIIC and WEOC encourage you to stay the path and manage through. What have you found that works best for you in times of change?
