Proactively managing the overall change portfolio and evaluating the capacity for organizational change before starting projects is a key function of senior management. This test mitigates the risk of generating more changes than the organization can offer. As we facilitate strategic and tactical changes within organizations, we work with numerous executives, each with their own individual leadership styles. Trained executives often work to ensure that commitments are successful and that the organization receives a positive return on its investment.
However, sometimes, some leaders' approach to the change management process can actually hinder the organization's efforts instead of helping to create a satisfactory outcome. As important as being the driving force behind a company-wide cultural change is the need for the CEO to recognize that leaders may feel uncomfortable in the face of transformational changes. As part of the cultural change, roles will change and management styles will have to be modified. In an agile approach, teams are cross-functional, collaborative, iterative and self-managing.
These changes can make senior managers feel anxious, but they can be alleviated with specific training for executives. Clear, direct and transparent communication from the CEO to the rest of the management team, and the willingness to follow continuous training together with their C-level colleagues, will greatly contribute to this. The CEO and the rest of the management team must be willing to operate in a more decentralized environment in which others are empowered to make decisions and correct the course without being penalized by initial mistakes.
