Organizations that don't prepare for changes are more likely to find themselves in unforeseen gaps, periods of vacuum that can occur during the process of change. Here, you'll find expert tips on how to recognize and leverage these gaps to lead your organization through times of change.
Gaps occur when an organization is undergoing a change and is not equipped to handle the transition time. It can be the time between the recruitment of managers, between the old and new organization or the gap between different clients. Other relevant gaps are those between man and machine, analogue and digital, private and public, manager and employee.
In these gaps, it is easy for important priorities or decisions to fall through the cracks, often leading to uncertainty and, in the long run, stress and ill health. If you have not trained for or planned to lead in change, it can be difficult to recognize gaps and reduce their negative impact.
It is more or less a human need to want to know what is waiting around the corner. That is how our brain works. When sudden changes occur frequently, the future becomes unpredictable, making it even more difficult to lead oneself and others.
– Both changes and the behavioural shifts needed in connection with organizational changes take time and require reflection. That's why so many fail in their change processes, says Milou Häggå, organizational consultant at Falck.
Lead in change
Gaps can create anxiety and dissatisfaction in the organization and lead to resistance to the change. To avoid this, it is important for you as a manager to communicate clearly and consistently with your employees. Creating an open and transparent communication environment can help minimize negative gaps and facilitate smooth changes.
It is also important to provide the right and sufficient resources and support so that your employees know what applies and feel included in the change process. Involve your employees in decision-making about the change to reduce the risk of resistance and increase their engagement. Actively manage any conflicts and resistance.
– As Organizational Consultants at Falck, we often work with managers to help identify the gaps in their organizations. We also work in various ways with change management and often have the privilege of being a sounding board to ensure and encourage both managers' transition time and adaptation. It is a fantastic job to follow the development of all managers, says Milou Häggå.
If you have no time to sort things through, it is difficult to prioritize and discover what is really important
Prioritize time between activities
To feel good as a manager and be a good leader, it is important to give yourself transition time between meetings and activities, as well as time for switching off to create distance and bring in creativity and new input into your life as a human being.
Both transition time and downtime are needed to discover tricky gaps where important priorities risk being lost and, in the long run, harm both the leadership and organization.
– If you have several meetings in a row without a break, you have no time to process. It is not always so successful! If you have no time to sort, it is also difficult to prioritize and discover what is really important. Sustainable decisions are often made when we pause and do something completely different, says Milou Häggå.
Manage gaps in your organization
Here are Milou Häggå's tips on how you, as a manager, can work on handling gaps in your organization:
Search for the gaps, clarify them, and communicate them
View the gaps as opportunities
Ensure transition time to create presence and minimize unhealthy stress
Leadership training
In the autumn, we at Falck will start a new Leadership Program. During 7 physical meetings, we work on aspects that engage your leadership. Our theoretical framework includes psychological capital and transformative leadership, among others. It is an active training program for those who want to sharpen their personal leadership to the next level.
