In today’s episode we interview Tiffany Cheng, Leadership & Career Coach and Founder of Inspire My Day. Tiffany’s company helps middle management in large organizations get top leadership positions through influence, so they can “make more, impact more, and become more.” Today’s podcast topics are focused on the three levels of resistance to organizational change; namely, I don’t understand it, I don’t like it, and I don’t like you. There is further emphasis on the leader’s framework for effective communication; namely; connect, create, and communicate which will help send the message directly home to your Team Anywhere.
The Three Levels of Resistance to Organizational Change
- Level 1 Resistance – I Don’t Understand It — Many businesses are successful at explaining a change to their employees, but struggle when it comes to making sure it is understood as logical and meaningful. While practical questions may be asked to mask misinterpretation , underlying feelings of confusing emotions always play an important role in people’s ability to move forward and take positive action.
- Level 2 Resistance – I Don’t Like It — Level 2 resistance is rooted in emotion – people may be disappointed or afraid of the proposed changes. Although they ask logical questions, often this masks their true feelings about the change and how it will affect them personally. More effort must be taken to understand why employees do not like a particular proposal so they can be given ways to manage the transition.
- Level 3 Resistance – I Don’t Like You — Level 3 resistance comes from a lack of trust; employees may associate the change with a particular job role, department, or group and be suspicious of those who are leading it. Thus, research has shown that people are emotionally driven when it comes to actions related to change and decision-making, so leaders need to build infrastructures to help teams move through the resistance in productice ways.
Leadership Framework for Effective Communication
Tiffany offers the following three components for communication to hit the mark.
Leadership Framework #1: Connect
In order to effectively communicate, connect with yourself first and ask yourself these four questions: why you are communicating; what should be different after the communication; why do you believe in the decisions being made; and, what makes you uncomfortable. Then, assess your listeners: what do they already know and want to know? What are their feelings and fears? Finally, address those fears early on to ensure successful understanding and mindset. .
Leadership Framework #2: Create
To craft an effective message, ask yourself three questions: what should the listener know; why should they care about it; and, what action should be taken? Then write it down in one sentence to make certain you understand it. Finally, make sure something changes after communicating – that is the ultimate goal.
Leadership Framework #3: Communicate
Tifanny Cheng encourages frequent communication between groups to ensure everyone is on the same page. She also suggests small but meaningful acts like providing an update on a conversation that happened while some group members were away, which can make remote group members feel included.
Who is Tifanny Cheng?
Tifanny Cheng is a career and leadership coach who has helped expats climb to the top 1% in an organization. With 16 years of corporate experience advising 9 global and regional presidents, she’s seen the ins and outs of the corporate world from her time as Vice President of Communications at the Volvo Group and Atlas Copco Group.
Tifanny Cheng’s story starts with English teaching in Shanghai, but today she stands as a VP for a 41 billion Euro business stretching across 100,000 employees. She is also a wife and mother of two young children living in Belgium with her Border Collie dog. Her multilingual household communicates in English, French, and Chinese.
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