At MGI we understand how important it is for organisations to develop robust change management strategies to deal with ongoing organisational changes and challenges while empowering their people to thrive through change. In its Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2024, Gartner identifies Change Management as priority number 4, noting that preparing for and adapting to constant change is fatiguing employees and leaders, and that only about 50% of employees trust their employer. It is more important than ever for organisations to plan to ensure success. 

Preparation is key for any transformational change programme whether the change is to culture, process, systems, policy or strategy. Change programmes are dependent upon what people think and feel about the change, and what they say and do throughout the process.  

Equipping people with the right mindset and behaviours to thrive through change is a powerful way to facilitate a successful outcome, making changes easier to implement and more successful overall. Any investment in your people to deliver change more effectively will be a significant benefit to your organisation’s reputation, productivity and resilience. 

Considering what people are thinking and feeling about any change and how they are communicating, what they say and do, underpins successful preparation for change.  

Ensuring the right mindset – what we think and feel about a change

In our experience, preparing your people to be open to change and creative in their approach to new ways of working so that they can rise to new challenges and thrive requires a specific mindset. This mindset is characterised by four things.  

Firstly, people will have a strong belief in taking ownership and responsibility, they will be willing to engage with the changes and play their part rather than put up barriers and obstacles to progression.

Secondly is the belief that there is a good way forward in any situation in business.  A successful change culture is built on solution-focused thinking and the ability to assess situations and solve problems.

Thirdly, to have a culture that thrives through change requires people to have a mindset where they believe each person has something to contribute. They are willing to listen to other points of view and seek and act on feedback.

Finally, engaging everyone in the change requires them to believe they do make a difference and are an important part of the process of creating a better future.  

It is possible to equip people with key skills to develop this mindset. This includes: 

• the ability to self-assess and self-manage into the most productive emotional state,  

• being able to objectively assess each situation and challenge that arises during the change process with solution-focus,  

• and having a set of powerful evaluation techniques to find ways forward to progress the change process without becoming stuck and blinkered to the opportunities presented.   

Leaders, managers and HR professionals play critical roles in diligently ensuring their people are fully engaged in any change programme and are given the foundational skills they need to successfully navigate ever changing business priorities.  

Demonstrating this positive, solution-focused mindset to others by what we say and do 

How people in organisations communicate with each other during times of significant change is a defining aspect in determining the programme’s success. The mindset we describe above is shown to others through what is said and done. In a time of change it is so important that communication focuses on what can be done rather than what is not possible, the benefits of a change before any negatives or difficulties, the options and alternatives to keep the change programme moving forward, and how true barriers or obstacles can be navigated around, through or over.  

Imagine an environment where, whatever the challenge, the first response is to be solution-focused, using positive, collaborative, empathetic language to review the change situation and devise an effective way forward. This does not mean always agreeing with every aspect of change; rather, the communication drumbeat is one of collaboration, positive first, empathy, appreciation and constructive debate. It is incumbent on everyone involved in the change process to be mindful of what they say and do, with a focus on demonstrating an optimal mindset of ownership and responsibility, optimism and solution-focus, respect for others’ perspectives and a commitment to making a difference. 

At MGI we equip people with the tools they need to embrace this optimal mindset and communicate in a positive, solution-oriented manner, helping to clear the path to deliver successful change programmes.  

Get in touch to find out how we can rapidly equip your teams with everything they need to thrive through change or take a look at our change programme training solutions here. 

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