Navigating Change and Remote Work Regrets
Jack Zenger
Co-Founder and Renowned Expert in Leadership Development, Assessment, and Change. Best-Selling Author, Highly Respected Speaker, Consultant and Executive Coach.
Dear Listeners,
Although the common narrative celebrates the excitement of learning new things, I often find myself grappling with a sense of weariness at the prospect. Although the eventual sense of accomplishment is undoubtedly rewarding, summoning the enthusiasm for the journey ahead often proves to be a significant challenge in itself.
Apparently, I am not alone in feeling this resistance to change. A Gartner survey showed that the willingness of employees to support enterprise change plummeted from 74% in 2016 to a mere 43% in 2022.
This podcast episode delves into how this resistance forms a significant hurdle for leaders in an era where change is inevitable. How can leaders champion change with a workforce that often doesn’t want it?
Zenger Folkman’s Research Showed Five Key Behaviors for Successful Change Management
1. Innovation: Leaders must continuously seek innovative solutions to drive change, making it more acceptable and productive.
2. Acting Quickly: Speed in execution is crucial. However, it's also important to balance this with the organization's capacity to absorb change without causing burnout.
3. Strategic Perspective: A clear vision and a strategic perspective are essential. This involves understanding the why and where of change.
4. External Perspective: Keeping an eye on external factors, such as market changes and competitor actions, is vital for keeping change initiatives on track.
5. Inspiring and Motivating Others: Leaders must not only direct but also inspire and energize their teams to embrace and drive change.
Embracing change presents an opportunity not to complicate your life, but to enhance it significantly. Strategic transformations, such as redesigning team dynamics and organizational structures, introducing automation to reduce menial tasks, reengineering corporate culture, and adopting advanced AI technology, hold immense potential to revolutionize the way you work, steering it towards greater efficiency and satisfaction.
This next episode dives into the not-so-black-and-white realm of remote versus in-office work. It's a tale as old as, well, 2020.
Remote work isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially for those of us who find the fridge an irresistible distraction.
💻Zoom Enthusiasts (a.k.a. Remote Workers): According to Zenger Folkman’s research, these champions of pajama professionalism show higher discretionary effort.
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💼 Office Crusaders: These warriors of the water cooler are more confident in their organization's strategic goals. Maybe it's the office air or just the free coffee?
Now, for the leaders: We discovered key differences in leadership strengths based on work location:
It seems for many that fully remote work is starting to lose its luster. Leaders should seriously assess their strengths and choose a work setting that enhances them. While organizations and employees are still navigating the ideal work environment, a hybrid approach might offer a balanced solution for productivity and job satisfaction.
So, before you bristle at the request to return to the office for a few days each week, consider how this in-person connection might benefit you, your boss, and your team members.
Until Next Time!
-BreAnne Okoren
Host of The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast
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Zenger Folkman combines hard data with actionable applications dedicated to helping individual leaders thrive and organizations succeed.
The discipline of leadership requires more than occasional training. We help leaders utilize their strengths and embrace a lifestyle of continuous learning and growth.
Learn more at zengerfolkman.com.