Change projects are transitions: moving away from the current state to a desirable state in the (uncertain) future. This is where the difficulty begins. Because one thing is often misunderstood: when designing a change, it is not about rehashing the past or looking for mistakes and culprits. That is a waste of valuable energy. Rather, the focus is on consciously designing an attractive state in the future . This is precisely where the challenge lies: the target state lies in the future. No one can say with certainty whether it will be achieved and what it will look like exactly. The fear of committing oneself ultimately leads to unclear communication.
Create a picture of the future
You have probably had a similar experience: you wanted to climb Mount Everest with your team. But you quickly realized that it was not enough to set a specific date by which you wanted to reach the summit cross at an altitude of almost 9,000 meters. Even setting a few intermediate goals was not enough to create a committed expedition team.
Furthermore, as leader experienced leader, you know that even if the goal is formulated in clear key figures and based on precise data and facts, it will be interpreted and understood individually by each person. What's more, pure numbers do not motivate or inspire people. The prerequisite for shaping and achieving a desired state in the future is therefore always a clear picture. People who are expected to change and create new structures in the company along the entire value chain need guidance. Use the power of your employees to create a picture of the future. An inspiring and clearly described vision provides the driving force for the targeted creation of something new.
Clear guidelines serve as a compass
And yet, numbers, data, and facts are indispensable. Clearly defined future results serve as a compass. They structure thinking and set the direction in which the organization and, consequently, all employees and leader should leader . This provides the necessary clarity.
However, employees will only commit to change if your project makes sense to them and demonstrates benefits. At the same time, they must feel that they can actively influence the future state. Only then will they identify with the vision for the future. The biggest challenge for you as leader to clearly describe this target state together with your team. Generate an inspiring vision that you can clearly and precisely substantiate with measurable figures, data, and facts.
Pursue the goal
This is the starting point for the next step: consistently pursuing the common path. Every day, you must direct the energies and all the actions of your employees toward the desired, jointly formulated state. Because even if there is agreement on the goal, invisible obstacles still lurk along the way. The necessary perseverance comes from daily, vivid, numerically supported, plausible, and credible communication of the vision for the future.
Creating identification – leader role models
Keep in mind that your employees look to you as leader. It is not what you say that matters, but what you DO! Regularly activating internal and external images guides your perception. In addition , clear internal images prevent you from getting lost in sudden problems. What you exemplify will be imitated. Only if you engage with the defined image of the future on a daily basis can you harness its guiding power. This is the only way to challenge and encourage your team to do the same. Your daily behavior is the most effective form of communication and creates the necessary identification. In this way, you give your employees the desired feeling of security, strength, and trust—for which your credibility forms the basis.
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