Since small successes can energize those involved in a change effort, organize the effort so that there are visible positive results early on. When you achieve these successes, celebrate them. Reinforce the positive behaviors that led to the success. Initiating […]
Change usually demands the acquisition of new skills and implementation of new practices. Daily routines must be reprogrammed. While this is happening, employees will feel threatened, questioning their competencies (skills, abilities, and knowledge). Under these circumstances, you need to assume […]
Good leaders can inspire team members to excel by fostering optimism and a positive outlook. Here are some practical tips: Create a virtuous circle of positive expectations. Expect your team members to perform well. People are then more likely to […]
Most professionals enjoy their technical work and get a kick out of serving their clients well. However, when I visit some offices where groups of professionals are at work, I notice that the atmosphere is rather leaden. Conversations, few and […]
To overcome resistance to change, you need to understand what prompts the people to resist the change. Here is an action plan you should consider to reduce resistance and increase the likelihood of successful implementation: Provide advance notice. Communicate the […]
Be prepared for questions, if not outright resistance. The surest way to overcome anticipated objections is to incorporate them into your announcement. Make your presentation and state any anticipated objections as though they are yours, then disprove each, one by […]
I have noticed that many leaders of professional service teams do a lot of the formal things that are required of them. They hold meetings to review performance, they conduct performance review interviews, they keep their people informed about major […]
Begin with your self. What was your first reaction when you heard about the change? Was it fear or elation? Was it confusion or understanding? Are you looking forward to the change or are you worried about its effect on […]
Most professionals and support people welcome the opportunity to provide ideas for doing new things and for doing things better. These may be concerned with services, processes, systems or structures. They may be relevant to client service, marketing, organization, information […]
Once plans are announced, share them with your staff. Their reaction to the news will be based, in part, on your own reaction to the change. Role model a positive attitude. Don’t stop there, however. Identify the concerns of your […]
In professional teams responsibilities vary in terms of range and complexity. However, everyone is part of the team. Everyone’s work is important. It is a sad fact that in professional environments this is not always recognized. Sometimes a ‘them and […]
A failure to delegate properly is not uncommon, especially, but not exclusively, in law firms. In other words a large proportion of the professional work time of more senior people is spent doing things that more junior team members, with […]
You need to monitor events within your organization. This way, you will learn about changes that may involve your department. You shouldn’t let yourself be blind to signals of change nor should your staff believe that you are not in […]
No matter what the change is or when it occurs, people respond to it gradually. The four steps that people go through when dealing with change are: Denial Resistance Exploration Acceptance If you find yourself going through these four stages, […]
In professional service teams the more senior people, for instance partners and associates, usually have all of the responsibility and authority that they need to undertake their work. On the other hand the more junior professional employees and the support […]
As a manager, you have two choices. You can hire someone and let the individual make a place for himself or herself. Or you can involve the team in the decision and thereby shorten the timeframe between the new hire […]
It is sad but true that many people, senior as well as junior, go through their working lives without receiving any kind of personal appreciation or recognition. Whenever I speak with leaders of teams of professionals it is clear that […]
Energetic and enthusiastic leaders who demonstrate a vigorous drive for results have a positive effect on their team members. They act as role models. There are a number of things that you can do: Make sure that your team members, […]
If you really want your employees to take responsibility for decisions they make, you have to teach them how to think critically. Further, you have to convince them that you want them to do so. The first is simpler than […]
When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die. — (Eleanor Roosevelt) Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. — (Mother Teresa) The drive to behave in a particular way […]