Making change easier by defeating exclusion

In my last post we established that inclusion makes change easier and helps accelerate it. Many times leaders don’t include enough people in the planning and design of the process of change because they think it’s too messy and time consuming.

In reality, you will lose a lot more time, and risk failure if you don’t include enough people in the process. Today I’m sharing 7 specific behaviors you can easily learn and apply to defeat exclusion and make change easier.

1. Initiate contact

Take the risk to take the initiative. Don’t wait until people start asking about the proposed changes. Involve them from the beginning and at every step of the process.

Be authentic in your greetings and invitations to participate. Hello and a smile tend to open doors to communication. If there is a misunderstanding, be the first to address it to resolve the disagreement.

2. Build trust

Removing fear will create a sense of safety where everybody can express their thoughts and feelings. Do what you say you will do and honor confidentiality. Inclusion also builds trust.

By including representatives from different functions, departments, and levels, as well as different background, demographics, and nationalities, you will build trust. You will also gain a breadth of perspective you can’t get any other way.

3. Connect

Reach out and make sure the human connection is developed and sustained. Recognize other’s ideas, thoughts and feelings, and link them to the ongoing conversation about change. Speak up if people are being excluded from the process.

4. Listen

Conversations build organizations. The organizational “mind” is formed as we listen and talk to one another as allies, not as enemies. Ask others to share their thoughts and experiences and accept their frame of reference as true for them.

Listen to those that enthusiastically embrace change, since they bring energy and creativity. Listen also to the dissenters, since their voices brings attention to potential difficulties, and areas that need to be taken into consideration.

5. Explore

Explore your own thoughts, feelings and vision, and that of others. Work for the common good. Don’t be afraid of discomfort. Be willing to challenge yourself and others. Develop together the vision of how things will be after the change has become the new reality. Include a wide sample of people from across the company to work together in this exploration.

6. Be flexible

Have an open mind and an open heart that invites and embraces differences. Remember that you aren’t always right. Be willing to negotiate, compromise, and find a middle ground all can live with. Don't accept anything less than win-win when creating consensus about change.

7. Think systemically

Remember that change in one part of the system will affect the whole system. In the same way, when gains are shared, it encourages all the system. Ask who else needs to be in the room to understand the whole situation.

Don't panic when you encounter negativity. Even though the negativity of a hard core group can derail a change process, if you encourage people to share their gains and successes with the change, the whole system can gain optimism and hope.

Remember. . .

Inclusion enables a new level of collaboration for change. Inclusions helps partnerships within the organization operate more smoothly. People become more closely aligned with common goals and ways to achieve shared success. Try it and you will be surprise how much easier change becomes.

What do you think?

In your experience with inclusion, which of the above behaviors have you found most useful? What other behaviors have given you positive results? Share your comments with us.

Photo by: Ardonik