5 Common Change Leadership Mistakes (and 5 You’ve Probably Never Thought About) That Could Derail Your Next Big Initiative

Change is part of life and it can often be challenging. Whether it’s a new process at work, a shift in company goals, or even just a new way of doing things, it’s natural for people to not like change. But guess what? A lot of that dislike comes from how change is handled. Let’s talk about some mistakes leaders make during change and how those mistakes can really affect the outcomes.

More Common Mistakes

1. No Clear Communication:
   Imagine getting a big, important memo that’s full of jargon you don’t understand and doesn’t really explain why a change is happening. Confusing, right? That’s what happens when leaders don’t break down the change into easy-to-understand terms. When things aren't clear, people don’t know how to react.
   
   
2. Not Involving the Right People:
   Ever been left out of something and found out later? It sucks any way you look at it. And when key people aren’t involved in change discussions, not only can it slow everything down but it can bring an entire effort to a grinding halt. 

1. Ignoring Resistance:
   It’s easy to think everyone will just go with the flow, but the reality is people resist change when they don’t initiate it. Leaders who don’t listen or help people through that resistance set their projects up for failure.
   
   
2. Not Providing Enough Resources:
   You can’t ask people to build a house without giving them the tools, right? It seems like common sense, right? However, very few change initiatives have all the resources they actually need and who are knowledgeable to successfully implement the changes. You just can’t under resource projects with changes when they impact people and expect it to be successful. People need awareness, training, time, and support and that means resources. 
   
   
3. No Follow-Up:
   After the big announcement, it’s tempting to think, “Okay, my project work here is done!” But that’s not true. Change needs constant check-ins, even when the “project” is complete. 

One large company product transfer initiative I was working on seemed to be going pretty well even though there was a lot of change and impacts to multiple countries. I had been working with the key business unit leaders to make sure we had communications prepared, but I had not personally met with the president about the change. I was assured by the business leaders that he was aware of the changes they wanted to make. As a final signoff of the media holding statement and regional communications, I sent them to the president for approval. He immediately called me and said he felt blindsided by my request to approve them, because while he had “heard” about the changes months ago he had no idea we were actually ready to start implementing them. As a result, the president halted the project and we faced huge delays. Eventually we moved forward but I learned a valuable lesson about assumptions and to make sure the right people are involved early on.

Lesser-Known but Big-Time Mistakes

Often it's the mistakes we make that aren't so obvious that can greatly impact our abilities to lead change. Here are a few of those mistakes that might not be at the forefront of your thoughts. 

1. Forgetting people feel ‘Loss’:
   Change often means losing something that people are attached to and comfortable with. Whether that’s a routine, a role, or even just a way of working. People need time to accept and process that loss. People react differently to the perceived loss, what seems like no big deal to one person might feel like a huge loss to another. 
   
   
2. One-Size-Fits-All Approach:
   Everyone’s different. So why do leaders often think one approach to change will work for everyone? Tailoring the message and support to fit different teams or personalities can make all the difference.
    
3. Not Leading by Example:
   Leaders who say “Do as I say, not as I do” lose credibility fast. If you expect people to embrace change, you need to lead by example and be an “active” participant not a passive bystander saying you support it but not showing you support it.  
   
   
4. No Change Champions:
   Having a few advocates within the team who are excited about the change can make everything go smoother. These “change champions” can help spread the excitement and help to win over colleagues who might be on the fence about the change.
   
   
5. Ignoring Informal Channels:
   Sometimes the real conversations about change don’t happen in meetings, they happen in hallways, during coffee breaks, or on online chats. Leaders who don’t tap into these channels miss out on crucial feedback.

While we all know that change is inevitable as it’s a part of life, these mistakes don’t have to be. By avoiding these common (and not-so-common) mistakes, you can lead your team through change with more confidence and way less drama.