Lessons Learned on Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence

The organization I work for is going through one of the largest organizational design cultural changes in its' 180-year history.

At the end of the month, nearly every one of our *20,000 salaried employees globally will be impacted by this redesign.

As an employee, this has been equal parts exciting an emotionally exhausting. We are all at different stages of the change, and I've witnessed both awesome and not-so-awesome change management messages from managers. Here is one of the awesome examples I was on the receiving end of last week:

1. Change is a constant force in our world. Look at 2020 for evidence of change! This week is no different in that change story...except, it is. We expect the org announcements coming from Smart Industrial to be shared this week, and insight into the future of Deere and our team. With those things in mind, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you: We're about to write the next chapter of Deeres long and legendary history. There are a few points in any company's history that can be pinpointed when something extraordinary happened. I believe this is one of them.

2. People are going to look back at this moment as a turning point that changed how Deere was positioned across a number of industries. Each of you are part of that legend! Our team and work will change. These moments force leaders and teams to re-assess their strategies and direction. This is a moment where strategic re-alignment of priorities and resources shifts team compositions and focuses. Its an important step that will ensure that the way we work moving forward aligns to what will best position Deere for its future.

3. Each of you is the victor of your story. At the end of the day, there is always the possibility of a change in roles that could be perceived initially as negative. No matter what happens this week, I want you to remember that you are the hero and victor of your own story. Take solace in that throughout this coming week. As we face adversity and challenges, think about how the hero of the story would react. Stay above the line and focused on solutions as we position Deere for the future.

If you need anything this week, please reach out! I'm happy to step away and connect as needed! Its easy to lose sight of the impact that we each have on those around us. To solely focus on lofty engagement strategies and creating integrated talent management processes. But this one action had a bigger impact on my engagement in the past quarter than anything else.

Use this as a gentle reminder that above all: Human-centered connection cannot be manufactured.