Promoting Change Without Losing Partners

Problem

It is essential to bring innovation to an organization in order to gain the upper hand against competitors. Innovation requires change or impacts the process; it does not always mean technology. When changing to address the market, it is essential to focus on the end goal, not the change itself. By focusing on the change, people can sometimes not see the clear path or facilitate the transitional period. I have been focusing on this challenge of facilitating, understanding, and impacting an organization's change. It proves to be challenging to validate change quickly without hurting or losing customers or employees.

Actions taken

To facilitate change, it is essential to understand human interaction and desires. The changing framework should be based upon the profile of a team, their value, and how your customers will be affected by the change. When this change occurred in my company, the first skill I needed to master was being an incredible listener. When listening, I focused on the story the individual was telling me, without my bias present. I understood the viewpoint of my customers and team and stepped into their shoes by listening empathetically.

The second step is to map your team's profile and how that relates to the change within the company. Create a framework that maps the team's skills, qualities, and values to more effectively manage a team. If you manage a larger team, this framework will be essential to bring to your managers. Managers will use the framework as a tool to gain insight into the actions of their team and how they are handling the company transition. From there, leadership will work together and create a process that will lead to the desired outcome, following the qualities of your team.

The third step is to replicate good tools and strategies so that people under your leadership can succeed. Without the proper tools and processes in place, your team may suffer from a lack of technical ability or cohesiveness. You have to understand the North Star metric of an operation to make good decisions to increase revenue without losing any team members. By understanding and promoting the North Star metric, your company will profit, grow customer connections, and make it simple to measure your team's progress. It is, by far, the most crucial step in the process of change.

Lessons learned

• No matter what changes your organization is going through, the principles remain the same. It is essential to base change upon the profile of your team and your customers in order to keep as many partners as you can.
• It is essential to growing your product without hurting your business or anyone related. Ask yourself how you can scale a product and a team in a successful manner. Making this information as transparent as possible is key to growing your business without losing partners, customers, or employees.