Fiscal cliff, political objections, merging agencies, and pay decrease discussions around the water cooler have many government employees concerned. Many of us are wondering what exactly 2013 is going to look like for ourselves and for our country. Now is the time for agency leaders to take action and encourage their teams.
Culture can be a powerful change agent. If you think about high performing agencies, most of them have a clear culture that is actually implemented within the organization. An agency’s culture generally dictates the values, vision, and missions. It is an indicator of how the agency gets things done on a daily basis. When leaders adhere to the culture when integrating change, it will support and encourage employee’s reaction to the change.
Can you explain your agency’s culture? Are your goals and the goals of your team members aligned with the organizations culture? If not, this could be a great discussion to have in your next one-on-one meeting with your employees. Employees that know their performance and success is contributing to the success of the organization are more motivated, confident, and passionate about what they do.
Involving your employees with the agency’s mission can lead to confident, engaged, and high performing individuals. Studies reveal that the more employees are involved in the decisions of a change that will impact them, the more committed they are to the agency. In turn, the more committed they are, the better their performance. The better their performance, the more effective the agency will be at accomplishing their mission.
Would you be more accepting of a decision that was made by others and dictated to you or would you rather have an opportunity to provide your contribution and feedback to that decision? An effective way to implement any change is to allow those who have to endure the change to be involved in the change process.
Our immediate reaction to change tends to be objection. This is where leaders can really use their skills and influence a direct report’s perception of the impending change. An employee’s supervisor is the first line of defense against a closed-minded approach to change. Scheduling regular one-on-one meetings, building trust, and providing the tools the employee needs to successfully overcome the negative mind-set that can occur during change can be the difference in an employee staying with the agency versus leaving for another job.
Do you have a strategy to resolve people’s concern and negative mind-set on change? Ken Blanchard, author and co-founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, reveals that “none of us is as smart as all of us.” Shifting your employee’s outlook can often lead to a change of heart and commitment to the agency.
Want to hear more about how you can motivate yourself and your employees? Listen to Dr. David Facer, author of Optimal Motivation, as he shares a fresh approach to motivation that can increase employee engagement, productivity, and employee well-being.
Now who doesn’t want that during these hard times?
While I agree with Ken Blanchard that “none of us is as smart as all of us.” it seems that many agencies are still operating in the top down hierarchy model, and despite lip service to crowd-intelligence, are continuing the same old activities…..