What are the most common mistakes leaders make when driving change?

When driving change, leaders often stumble into common pitfalls. It starts with poor communication, where the reasons and benefits of change aren't effectively conveyed. This lack of clarity leads to resistance, exacerbated by a failure to involve key stakeholders early on. Without their buy-in, implementation faces hurdles. Meanwhile, inadequate planning and a disregard for organizational culture and mindset add to the challenges. Leaders may overlook resistance, assuming it will dissipate, or set unrealistic expectations, causing frustration. And without sufficient support and resources, employees struggle to adapt, ultimately undermining the change process.

Mistake: Leaders often assume that what motivates them will equally inspire their teams. This assumption overlooks individual differences and fails to address diverse motivations. Solution: Tailor your approach. Understand what drives each team member—whether it’s autonomy, recognition, growth, or purpose. Communicate the change in a way that resonates with their unique motivations

The common mistakes leaders make when driving change are not supporting their bold announcements with actual resources, accountability, and empowerment. Major transformations require achievable short-term wins, not just long-term goals, to build momentum. And leaders can't go it alone; they need to equip change champions across the organization. Announcing change without follow-through in resourcing, role modelling, pacing, and empowering their team just leads to cynicism rather than transformation. A leader learns to lead change in both word and deed.

Sorry, but I disagree with this one. If everything is urgent, then nothing is. Urgent usually means that immediate action is needed. If the building is on fire, that's urgent. Pushing urgency when driving change could be a self-inflicted wound if the matter doesn't require immediate action in response to a critical situation. Replacing the word "urgency" with the word "importance" would be a better fit here. There's a difference between urgent and important and that difference should be properly communicated. Communicating the needs, benefits, and risks of not changing seems more in the important category than the urgent.

The most common mistakes leaders make when driving change include lack of clear communication, insufficient stakeholder involvement, failure to address resistance, and underestimating the impact of change on employees.

John C. Maxwell aptly stated, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." Effective communication is the keystone that connects these elements. Leaders often assume that their vision and strategy are inherently clear to everyone, neglecting the need for consistent and transparent communication. Another common misstep is a lack of trust and employee involvement. Change is a collective effort, and leaders who fail to trust or engage their teams in the process may encounter resistance and hinder the successful implementation of their initiatives. It's crucial for leaders to not only articulate the 'what' and 'why' of change but also to involve and empower their teams in the 'how actively.'

One of the most common mistakes is a lack of clear communication. Leaders need to effectively communicate the reasons for change, the desired outcomes, and the steps involved. Without clear communication, employees may feel confused or resistant to the change. Another mistake is a failure to involve employees in the change process. When employees are not engaged or consulted, they may feel disconnected and less motivated to support the change. Additionally, leaders sometimes underestimate the time and resources required for successful change implementation. Rushing the process or not allocating enough resources can lead to failures or setbacks. Lastly, lack of flexibility can hinder change efforts.

One common mistake leaders make when driving change is not instilling a sense of urgency. Without a compelling reason to change, people tend to stick to the status quo. Leaders can address this by effectively communicating the need for change, highlighting its benefits and the risks of not changing, and using a mix of data, stories, and emotions. It's also crucial for leaders to demonstrate their own commitment to change and involve others in creating and implementing the change plan.

Failing to communicate effectively with the team! Clear and transparent communication is essential for ensuring that everyone understands the vision, goals, and expectations associated with the change. Without proper communication, employees may feel confused, anxious, or resistant to the proposed changes. For example, if a company announces a major restructuring without providing sufficient context or rationale behind the decision, employees may become demotivated or skeptical about the changes, leading to decreased morale and productivity. Effective leaders prioritize communication at every stage of the change process to mitigate misunderstandings and foster employee buy-in and engagement.

Not listening closely to the people who will make the change successful (or not!). Change can be like good medicine - administered in small doses, frequently, with regular check-ups and adjustments until the patient reports being well

“If you over-communicate, you overdeliver. If you under-communicate, you'll underdeliver." Over-communication ensures that all team members are on the same page, leading to enhanced collaboration and exceeding project expectations by preemptively addressing potential misunderstandings or gaps. Conversely, under-communication creates a breeding ground for confusion and misalignment, inevitably resulting in a non-aligned agenda, missed deadlines, compromised quality, and unmet goals as critical information fails to reach all stakeholders in a timely manner.

Change flourishes with open, clear communication. It goes beyond simply broadcasting plans; it's about ensuring every voice is heard. Utilise a variety of communication methods - town halls, meetings, one-on-one chats - and actively listen to your team's feedback. Establish a two-way communication channel, allowing employees to express their thoughts on the change. Be open to their insights. This approach not only identifies potential issues early but also empowers the team throughout the change process. Real change occurs when everyone is aligned, feeling valued and understood. Let's commit to genuine, impactful conversations!

What I have found to be effective is to create a clear and concise plan of action. Our job as leaders is to take as much of the guesswork out as possible. This means getting your team involved so they are invested in the plan and are excited about moving forward.

According to Simon T. Bailey International's State of Working America Report, working Americans think clear communication, above all else, is the environmental attribute that demonstrates brilliance most effectively. To be a resilient and brilliant leader, you must be able to communicate clearly. Without clear communication, the team will be off balance and not aligned with the company's goals. Lack of communication will affect the success of a leader, team, and company.

One thing I have found as a banana peel is the assumption by the leader that "change" means the same thing for everyone in the team. Even when the reasons for the change are clearly stated, individual nauances about how this change affects various stakeholders must be recognised and communication should aim to address these. No matter how well and how consistent the message is, leaders must ensure everyone can clearly see where they fit and what change means to them. When some team members resist change, what they are simply trying to say that "we are losing more than we are gaining from this change process"

Change is inevitable, but navigating it gracefully? That's the real leadership challenge. When it comes to communication, silence or inconsistency breeds fear and resistance. Be loud, be clear, and be human. Articulate the "why" behind the change, its future, and how everyone contributes. Most importantly, LISTEN. Acknowledge concerns, answer questions, and celebrate wins either big or small. Transparency builds trust, the essential fuel for any successful change journey.

Communication is the key. This is the hardest part of change management. Everyone affected by the change brings their perspective to the process. As a result, it takes strong leadership to effectively communicate objectives, listen to input from others and followup with additional coaching and support. I feel that effective communication can only happen when coaching and continual reinforcement of goals, resolving issues, clarifying comments, addressing conflict, and achieving objectives are consistently acted on and worked on. It is a process in and of itself that people going through the change process need to be a part of. It can work, but it takes an all-in attituded to make it work effectively.

Communications is essential to driving change within organizations and is often the no. 1 reason for failure. Improving communication during change requires a strategic approach. Here are two examples: ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) Kotter's 8-Step Change Model offer structured frameworks for effective communication. These models emphasize clarity, consistency, and alignment with actions to ensure successful change implementation.

During change, most leaders know they need to communicate, but they often underestimate how frequent that communication needs to be. They often say, 'I sent an email explaining it' not realizing that many employees either didn't open it, only skimmed a bit of it, forgot it, or didn't understand it. This is why a strategy needs to be developed during times of change to communicate frequently and through multiple channels - meetings, email, videos, training, etc. And communication needs to be two-way so that employees have the opportunity to share feedback and ideas.

A key thing for leaders to remember is you need to take your people with you. "Communicating" what you are going to do and how is not enough. Your people, your most important asset, need to be helped to understand why. A successful business that had reached the end of its growth potential with a new management team began making major structural changes which they communicated. However they did not explain their reasons or help their team understand why a series of changes were necessary. Ten years later I found myself in the manufacturing facility of another company working with the processes and structures that I had seen being pushed in my previous role. Only then did I understand the necessity. Bring your people with you!

Change is not easy for all. I believe some leaders on top often ignore involvement of people at all levels leading to adopting TOP DOWN approach to change. They get blinded by making quick decisions. Regardless of how well these top level decisions are made, the change is stunted as they ignore so much of information. They miss suggestions and ideas coming from different levels of the organisation giving a sense of incompetence and under qualification to people. This unidirectional, traditional approach is the symptom of leaders clinging to the belief that power, privilege and success lies in their core group. Though this approach is appropriate in critical situations, leaders must not always consider this as the only approach.

1. Bringing 3rd parties into the environment and not listening to experienced team members on what needs to change! This builds distrust among team members, and it leads to an exodus of highly qualified and expert domain knowledge team members. 2. Leaders do not always understand the complexity of systems and environments when changes are being pushed. 3. Leaders should be actively checking in and validating the changes are value added to team members productivity and having the courage to evaluate and change course if needed. I could go on....

Transparency is key - if you can be open about what and why things are changing, give context and reasoning then people will feel engaged from the beginning. Then offering an environment for discussion and feedback allows people to be heard and makes everyone feel like they are all part of process, decision-making and ultimate success.

One of my mantras for any change is the idea of bringing people on the journey with you. While you may be in charge of of the change, the change is bigger than just you, and you need to find ways to get help and support. Finding a way to invite people in, and then to encourage them to be supportive can be a way of getting around this challenge, so you can get the support you need to make the change

They communicate once or twice via email in a way that doesn’t resonate with employees, follow it with a mic drop, and then disappear into oblivion. If a leader is the pilot of a plane, it’s like they take off and then parachute jump off the plane, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves. Some people will be frozen in their seats, some will run around the plane in a panic, and some may try to figure out how to pilot the plane. Leaders must pilot the flight effectively from takeoff to landing.

When driving change, Servant Leaders recognize the power of a bottom-up approach, working with the individuals and teams on the front lines, those who interact with the processes, customers, and challenges daily. Also, by engaging team members in the early stages of change and empowering employees at all levels to contribute ideas and feedback, leaders can tap into a wealth of knowledge and creativity that might otherwise remain untapped. This approach helps implement the current change more effectively and lays the groundwork for a more agile and responsive organization in the future.

The importance of involvement cannot be stressed enough. Leaders need to have vision and decisiveness, but they also need to have a pulse on the ground, and often times this means actively soliciting feedback from various stakeholders or team members that are closer to the action. Delegation can play a key role in this process as well. When people feel empowered to join the decision-making process, fulfillment and satisfaction are sure to follow. It also helps to secure buy-in from across the organization.

Moving too quickly. You cannot turn a cruise ship on a dime. Get to know the team. Have one to ones. Understand everything before making changes. Build culture, trust, and understand it takes years to earn the loyalty of some. Keep at it. Don’t stop trying. Keep reaching out, working on getting to know them, and if you have good intentions they will see.

Another mistake many leaders make during change processes is forgetting that expectations differ from person to person. What might seem unrealistic to some could be seen as achievable by others. A key to successful change management is understanding how diversity influences our thoughts and perceptions of change, and then adapting our leadership style accordingly.

Leaders often fail to set clear success criteria and to measure benefits incrementally. Establishing precise KPIs and conducting regular assessments is crucial for continuous adjustment.

Thinking you can drive "change" in the first place. Engagement and credibility with people who use or deliver services has to come first. No amount of planning, objectives, holding to account will have any sustainable impact if the people involved don't share the vision of what better looks like and emotionally commit to delivering it. The change they want to see may not necessarily align with external "drivers" for change hence the 70% "failure" rate. Making services better for patients doesn't necessarily achieve the financial savings that most "driven" change programmes are expected to deliver because of the rigidity of timescales and failure to take a more long-term view of what real success and sustainable change looks like.

Mistake: Leaders who dictate change without seeking feedback miss valuable insights. Without real-time data, adjustments become guesswork. Solution: Create feedback loops. Regularly solicit input from employees. Use surveys, town halls, or one-on-one conversations. Adjust your approach based on their feedback.

Another mistake many leaders make during change processes is forgetting that expectations differ from person to person. What might seem unrealistic to some could be seen as achievable by others. A key to successful change management is understanding how diversity influences our thoughts and perceptions of change, and then adapting our leadership style accordingly.

It was Joyce Meyer that said: "Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting." When leaders try to make changes, another mistake they often make is expecting too much, too soon, or not being clear about what they want. Change takes time and can be tricky, so it's important for leaders to have clear and achievable goals. They should explain what they hope to achieve, how they'll know if they're successful, and who is responsible for what. This makes it easier for everyone to understand what's expected and work towards it together.

Setting realistic goals in change initiatives is like navigating through a storm; aim too high, and you risk capsizing. I've seen targets so lofty they seemed more fantasy than strategy. Realistic expectations provide a North Star, guiding but attainable. They account for the unpredictable nature of change, allowing for flexibility and adaptation. It's not about scaling mountains in a single leap; it's about the steady climb, step by step.

There are two primary factors that contribute to disorder and miscommunication when it comes to leading a team. These factors are unrealistic expectations and unclear or undefined roles of team members. It is often the case that we are given a specific objective to accomplish, but we fail to establish the overall goals, timelines, and responsibilities that each team member should provide. To enhance the project outcome and maintain team member continuity, it is crucial to create a clear outline of expectations and empower each person with a clear understanding of their role in achieving those objectives.

Research shows us that there is a 70% failure of organisational change programmes. Largely due to, failure to set fact-based high aspirations, failure to attach a compelling “why”, poor execution and failure to sustain the impact that they’ve achieved. Transformational change is hard, think it through and plan for success. Avoid these pitfalls, success requires a compelling aspiration, a rigorous execution, and a performance culture that ensures sustained impact.

Los líderes que dictan el cambio sin buscar retroalimentación pierden información valiosa. Sin datos en tiempo real, sin una escucha abierta y activa no impulsa el crecimiento. Crear espacios de comunicación en equipo aterrizar expectativas y establecer objetivos posibles de cumplir en equipo.

In 2022, we put a small group of leaders through a training that taught them to effectively give and receive both positive and negative feedback. We were so pleased with the results that we expanded this to a larger group. there is nothing more critical to the success of a company, as well as the growth of an individual than the ability to effectively do this. I think in a lot of cases people are shocked because they aren’t expecting what they hear, and if they hear it often enough, it helps them to be more introspective, and truly appreciate the candor of others.

This reminds me of a line from Stephen Covey: "Not listening to feedback is like driving at night without headlights." Ignoring or not wanting feedback is a big mistake leaders can make when trying to change things. Feedback is really valuable because it shows what's working well and what isn't.

In my outsourcing business, I encourage a culture where feedback is valued and embraced. For instance, when implementing a new project management tool, I actively seek input from my team on its usability and effectiveness. By welcoming their feedback, I empower them to voice their concerns and suggestions, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued. This openness to feedback enables us to make necessary adjustments and ensure the success of our change initiatives.

Resisting feedback does not benefit anyone. It doesn't matter if you're a leader or a team member, we should all be open to giving and receiving feedback in a positive way that helps us grow and learn from what works and what doesn't. If a leader rejects feedback from the people who are actually doing the work and are often the first to notice what's working and what's not, it creates a work environment where the value and experience of individuals are not appreciated, and the ability to adapt to challenging situations is lacking.

One huge mistake I have seen is lack or compassion or empathy. When a leader clearly disregards what is happing in someone’s life in order to meet the goal or deadline to the detriment of metal or emotional stress, creates an environment that will not bring positive results and damages the relationship. Always lead with compassion and empathy. We are all human.

I had a manager with this problem. He was ever eager to give feedback and tell people what they were doing wrong, but whenever he was given feedback, he brushed it off. No one on the team respected him.

Resistance to feedback leads to missed opportunities, reduced trust, and limited awareness. To overcome this: - Actively seek feedback through open channels. - Listen actively, showing genuine interest. - Acknowledge and appreciate input. - Act on feedback by implementing necessary changes. - Communicate actions taken to address feedback. Embracing feedback fosters open communication, identifies improvement areas, and increases the success of change initiatives.

Not fostering a culture of continuous improvement is a common mistake. Change should be an ongoing process and leaders should encourage a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation.

This is one of the most important mistakes that managers make. When you are resistant to feedback employees may feel undervalued and disrespected if their feedback is consistently ignored or dismissed. This can lead to decreased motivation, engagement, and morale, as employees may not see the value in contributing to change efforts they feel will not consider their input or address their concerns. Ultimately, resistance to feedback can lead to the failure of change initiatives. Without the ability to adjust strategies based on feedback from those affected by the change, initiatives may fail to achieve their objectives, wasting time, resources, and effort.

A successful change comes when people commit to the cause, instead of simply complying with a memo. Commitment requires belief in the cause, and that requires leaders to inspire people. It requires connecting the dots between the big picture and actions on the ground, and “why” it’s a better path. There is a great video on this topic from Simon Sinek. So while it’s important to follow the change management process and protocol, ultimately you have to inspire people and go with them on a journey, otherwise the effort won’t succeed.

Treat people as grown-ups! In my career, I have seen many times when the executive team discussed complicated/ uncomfortable news behind closed doors. One of the points is usually: "Shall we share the news with the rest of the organisation?" Just to let you know, this question shall raise the alarm. You are not ready to embrace the change and issues together as a company. In that case, most likely, the company is not prepared to go through a transformation or transformation efforts will lead to adverse/disastrous outcomes. Stop now, self-reflect, read great advice in this article, and seek help from experienced colleagues/ consultancies. Otherwise, you might arrive at something other than what you expected.

1. Not trying to understand the motivations of the people and what’s important to them. 2. Not getting the inputs of those who may be impacted by the change (directly or indirectly) and involving them in the change management process. 3. Not being clear and transparent on the objectives and intentions for driving change. 4. Not being consistent with what has been communicated vs what is being done in actual. In my opinion, leaders need to more collaborative than authoritative when driving change to get the trust, buy in and cooperation of those who will be affected by it.

+1 to Garima Tiwari’s top lines and would add, 1) explaining and making the tough calls in a timely manner post synthesizing considerations, knowing that such calls in circumstances may not satisfy all, and 2) adaptive leadership with a progression over perfection mindset, fostering a culture of applied learning and adapting to learnings from doing.

The biggest mistake is trying to change for the sake of change. Not thinking it through. Sometimes they try to rosh the change through instead of following an incremental path, thus leaving their followership confused and lost. They map the entire journey along with the outcomes in their minds without sharing or communicating it.

Below are some common mistake made when driving changes: 1. Lack of urgency. There is too much focus on current operational and procrastination to drive change 2. Lack of communication. Leadership drive changes without proper communication and preparation of the people. Change becomes too abrupt and sudden, and people will be resistant to it 3. Lack of follow through. Nothing gets with action. Changes and transformation plans may sound good on the table and talking, but there is no strong execution and follow through to see through the plans and the change failed

Deciding on high impact changes is key and ensuring the reasons are communicated to employees clearly and frequently is even more key. Urgency and impact matrix is more key than urgency and effort matrix. Ensure to identify key ambassadors for effective change communication and implementation. Besides these efforts inculcate a culture of adaptability in the system so employees develop support muscle and patience muscle. If employees are not taught to anticipate changes and be adaptable organizations will suffer. Emotionally intelligent employees try, test, wait and then voice the others voice. Whereas the rest voice their voice without trying. Now decide who you need to hire and where employees need training mostly.

Leaders need to have a clear compelling vision for change. They need to build mechanisms to address resistance and having a lot of feedback listening channels to gauge blockers, wins, learnings as the change unfolds

Top-down approach: Involving stakeholders fosters ownership and reduces resentment towards imposed changes. Micromanaging the process: Trusting employees fosters creativity and ownership, rather than fear. Failing to measure progress and adapt: Regular assessment enables leaders to adjust strategies for success. Not addressing resistance effectively: Understanding and addressing concerns directly fosters acceptance. Giving up too easily: Perseverance is crucial for change success; leaders must stay committed to the vision. Ignoring the human element: Change can be disruptive, impacting individuals and teams emotionally. Leaders must address concerns to maintain buy-in.

So true, Katrina. This is especially true to keep high performers invested and motivated in periods of change and transformation. This is a common oversight and yet so simple to execute!