Change management isn’t just a job; it’s a constantly changing path through the business landscape. With the perpetual need to make different types of business shifts, change management experts must continue to evolve to stay relevant.
Success as a change manager demands a unique blend of skills, both hard and soft. In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the key qualities and essential know-how every change manager needs to excel in this evolving job role, where your decisions shape your organisation’s future.
4 Key Qualities Every Change Manager Should Have
When it comes to the change management process, there’s a unique set of qualities and key capabilities that can make all the difference, helping you to navigate the challenges and drive success. While some in-born traits like creativity and intelligence can be beneficial, it’s equally important to cultivate certain attributes over time. These essential qualities lay the foundation for your excellence as a business change manager.
1. Empathy
Empathy simply means tuning in to what people are feeling and thinking, even when they don’t voice it. That’s a valuable quality in the field of change management, as it helps you gauge how stakeholders perceive the change program and its overall well-being.
Remember, building trust and rapport with those affected by the change you orchestrate is crucial. You’ve got to be an active listener, understand various perspectives, and tackle concerns and resistance head-on. By empathising with those affected by change, you create a space where people feel supported, and transitions become much smoother.
Essentially, empathy makes it easy to step into your project team and stakeholders’ shoes, get a grip on their fears, understand their concerns, and embrace their resistance.
2. Resilience
Change management will throw setbacks your way ― no doubt about it. However, your ability to bounce back and forge ahead in the face of adversity is what sets successful change managers apart.
You’ll often find yourself in situations where resources are scarce, and your team feels pressure. You’ll be the one they turn to, the voice of reason when things get tough. You might even feel like a punching bag at times, but staying calm and collected in the midst of chaos is valuable.
Indeed, not all changes go as planned, and that’s where resilience comes into play. It entails keeping the can-do attitude up even when you’re up against resistance or dealing with unexpected curveballs.
3. Adaptability
The business world is always changing, and as a change management expert, you’ve got to be ready to roll with the punches and switch gears as needed.
As a change-savvy professional, you’re a lifelong learner and innovator ― meaning you must cultivate flexibility. This way, you can inspire teams to get on board with fresh ideas, try new approaches, and steer the organisation toward success.
4. Patience
Regardless of how positive the developmental, transitional, or transformational change is, not everyone will get on board at the same pace, and that’s where patience comes into play. As a change management professional, you must learn to give employees and stakeholders the time they need to adjust to the changes and offer ongoing support and guidance.
Change initiatives can sometimes lead to change fatigue and even burnout among employees. Patience becomes essential for managing the speed of change, allowing people to adapt at their own pace, and offering a helping hand when needed.
But here’s the kicker: patience isn’t just about waiting around. It’s a highly useful quality in several areas, including:
- Handling resistance and anticipating challenges: Your job as a change manager is to make changes with as little disruption as possible. Patience is a powerful tool when dealing with expected resistance and addressing the concerns of employees who might be struggling with the change.
- Establishing and sustaining relationships: You’ve got to juggle relationships with several stakeholders ― employees, leaders, and outside partners. And it takes patience to build trust and understanding when dealing with these various perspectives and interests.
- Enhancing change strategies: As a change manager, you’re the brains behind the operation. That means you must take your time, plan things out meticulously, analyse them inside out, and ensure your strategy gets across effectively. All of these require a good deal of patience.
7 Must-Have Skills for Effective Change Managers
Guiding organisations and providing them with the tools to make transitions go smoothly is never easy. Success in this line of work requires certain essential skills that go beyond your everyday expertise.
Here are seven essential skills every change manager should strive to develop:
1. Change Planning
Change planning skill ensures you’re ready for whatever challenges come your way, and here’s why:
- Your job as a change manager is to ensure changes happen with minimal disruption. Change planning lets you control the pace of change, give stakeholders the time they need to adapt, and provide support that is always on hand.
- Change planning is your toolkit for meticulous preparation, allowing you to design and justify changes. Without this skill, thorough analysis, and communication, your change strategy will be quite difficult.
- With this skill, you can choose the right change models and frameworks to help you tackle change. Knowing the various models and frameworks lets you pick the perfect one for diverse situations.
2. Adaptive Leadership
Leadership is not just about pointing people in the direction they should go. Instead, effective leadership, in terms of change management, means tailoring your leadership style to fit various situations and your team’s needs.
Effective leadership is all about creating a positive and collaborative culture that supports change initiatives. Here’s what adaptive leadership involves:
- Clear vision: Having a clear vision of the organisational change can make it much easier to spell out the company’s goals and dreams.
- Motivational prowess: Motivating others, igniting their commitment to be part of the transformation.
- Honest and straight talk: Being open and upfront with your team about why the organisation is making a change. This can fuel the team’s unwavering dedication to the change.
3. Communication
Success in almost every facet of business hinges on effective communication, and change management is no exception. As a change manager, you’re the bridge between the “why” and the “how” of change. Your job role involves clearly and persuasively conveying the reasons behind the change, the expected outcomes, and the steps involved.
You’ll need to master the ability to break down complex information into bite-sized pieces that everyone can digest. Tailoring your messages to different audiences is key, whether it’s the higher-ups, employees on the ground, or external partners.
Remember, effective communication isn’t a one-time deal; it’s an ongoing dialogue. Regular check-ins with employees to answer questions and provide updates ensure everyone is on the same page during the transition.
4. Project Management
Think of change management as a project ― or rather, a series of them. That’s where project management skills come into play. As a change manager, you’ve got to be the project maestro, knowing how to plan, organise, and execute change initiatives smoothly.
This means:
- Defining what you’re changing
- Setting timelines that keep everyone on their toes
- Managing resources wisely
- Keeping a close eye on progress
Mastering project management skills will help keep change on track, ensuring the desired outcomes are delivered.
5. Strategic Thinking
As a change manager, you need to see the big picture and understand how proposed changes fit into your organisation’s overall goals and objectives. Strategic thinking allows you to craft a winning change management strategy focusing on effective actions. This means creating a robust plan that guides a company through the transition period.
Your strategy should be a roadmap that includes:
- The change timeline
- The nitty-gritty tasks to effect the change
- Who’s responsible for what
- Milestones and deadline for completing the transition
With strategic thinking, you can develop a solid strategy that helps you anticipate bumps in the road to change. And most importantly, your plan transforms ideas into a reality.
6. Coaching
Change managers wear multiple hats, and one of those is being a coach. You are there to guide, provide feedback, and support your team during times of transition. Coaching helps employees build resilience and stay engaged and also makes change adoption a success.
But that’s not all.
As a change manager, you need to develop the ability to prepare teams for change. This means setting up training and development programs, such as designing training materials and creating engaging learning experiences. The goal is to ensure everyone has the skills and knowledge needed to navigate change.
7. Performance Analysis
Leading change initiatives is one thing; making sure the changes stick is a different ballgame entirely. The key to success lies in your performance analysis skills. You want to ensure the change initiatives deliver the results they’re meant to.
Performance analysis involves knowing how to measure or track progress to determine if the project is hitting the right mark.
Many change projects stumble because they lack key performance indicators (KPIs). To truly understand your change impact, you need to measure KPIs before and after.
In other words, developing performance analysis skills is important for effective change management because it’s not just about making a change; it’s about making it count.
Tips for Cultivating Change Management Skills
Luck may have blessed you with innate qualities that kickstart your journey in change management. Yet, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and develop the necessary skills to truly excel in your career.
For example, some people are born leaders, and that’s an advantage when it comes to guiding people in the right direction. However, they need to put in the work to cultivate adaptive leadership skills, ensuring they make the most significant impact in the ever-evolving world of change management methodology.
To help you on this path, we’ve pieced together the following tips to assist you in nurturing and expanding your change management skills.
- Prioritise skills: Start by identifying the skills you want to enhance in your change management journey. To do this, create a list of these abilities and rank them. Now, pick one or two abilities at a time and put in the work to master them before moving on to the next set.
- Invest in continuous learning: There’s always something new to discover in the ever-evolving world of change management. Keep your knowledge up-to-date by reading books, articles, case studies, and blogs about change management strategy. Don’t hesitate to learn from your colleagues in different firms and adapt these insights to your own situation.
- Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving your skills. Set aside dedicated time each week to work on a skill, and don’t hesitate to seek help from colleagues. For instance, if you’re aiming to enhance your written communication, put it into practice in your everyday workplace interactions.
- Work with a mentor: Seek a mentor who can share their change management experiences and guide you through various scenarios. Their insights and advice, tailored to your specific organisation, can be invaluable in making crucial decisions and implementing successful changes.
- Team up with experienced partners: Consider partnering with seasoned consultants, for example our Growth Jetpack Consultant Catalyst service. Gaining external expertise and guidance in areas outside of change management can provide valuable support in handling the intricacies of growing your business.
What Qualities and Skills Should Freelance Change Managers Possess?
When it comes to essential qualifications freelance change managers should possess, strong communication skills and the ability to adapt to different work environments are crucial. Additionally, having a strategic mindset and being adept at problem-solving are also important qualities for effectively managing change in various organizations.
Final Thoughts
Nurturing and mastering these essential qualities and skills is critical to excelling as a change manager. And when you combine these strengths with powerful change management tools, you pave the way for a successful career.
Armed with the right skills, you can confidently lead your company through changes, be it developmental, transitional, or transformational. With these skills in your toolkit, you can help your organisation grow and adapt, making every change count.
