Leadership Institute

Leading Rapid Change

Recommended Solution for: Leading Rapid Change

Business conditions are rapidly changing and companies are forced to change their business practices just to remain competitive.  Whether it’s a major upheaval caused by a merger or downsizing or something as routine as a new process or work schedule, change is inevitable.  Organizations need leaders who make change work by modeling and supporting the behaviors that help people adapt to change quickly and effectively.  These leaders:

  • Involve others in the change process to minimize resistance and maximize commitment.
  • Foster open communication and trust during the change.
  • Minimize the potentially negative effects on morale, collaboration, and productivity.
  • Create and sustain an environment that embraces change.
  • Motivate and engage employees in new goals and processes.

Course Recommendations

The following combination of courses will enable leaders to manage successfully in a changing environment.

* Essentials of Leadership is the prerequisite course for most leadership courses.

  • Building an Environment of Trust -- Teaches leaders to recognize behaviors that lead to distrust and to understand the human impact of a non-trusting environment.
  • Leading Change -- Explores how change affects individuals and teams and shows leaders what they can do to help others adapt.
  • Resolving Conflict -- Enables leaders to recognize signs of conflict, assess the conflict, and serve as catalysts to achieve resolution.
  • Motivating Others -- Teaches leaders how to proactively create an environment in which people are highly motivated to perform.
  • Adaptive Leadership -- Teaches leaders how to tailor their approaches based on team members’ motivations, personality styles, the organizational environment, and the situation. This is an advanced interpersonal skills course. It is highly recommended that several other interpersonal skills courses from DDI be taken prior to this one.
  • Influential Leadership -- Helps leaders get their good ideas heard, accepted, and enacted. (No prerequisite course required)

Supplemental Courses and Development Tools

  • Adapting to Change (No prerequisite course required)
  • Building Winning Partnerships
  • Rapid Decision Making (No prerequisite course required)
  • OPAL® (Online Performance and Learning) -- Provides Internet reinforcement and just-in-time coaching.

Rationale

Change can challenge trust, erode loyalty, and impact productivity.  Leading change is a critical capability for today’s leaders.  Smart leaders view change as an opportunity and approach it with a positive mindset in order to build an environment that embraces change.  They are able to recognize and deal with the various emotions and reactions that accompany change in the workplace.  Whether they are introducing change, exploring change, or overcoming resistance to change, leaders must be able to facilitate open, trusting communication in order to minimize conflict and see that performance goals are met.