Do you feel like a wave is crashing over you, ready to take you out, and drag you to the bottom leaving you breathless and grasping for air? A client recently used this metaphor of a crashing wave to describe the pressure he was feeling from multiple changes in his organization.\n\nI asked him, what do you fear most about the changes you are experiencing? He responded, “The uncertainty and the ambiguity. I am not sure what these changes means to me.” Not surprising, our brains crave certainty and without it our brain goes into threat mode. So it’s no wonder, that many change initiatives fail. That’s why it is imperative to communicate in a way and with the frequency to help people understand what the change will mean to them. Here are some effective questions, to help create dialog around changes that are happening:\n
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- What do you think about this change?
- Do you know why the changes are taking place?
- How do you feel about this change?
- What do you see your role as in this change?
- What is your opinion about this change?
- What is your experience with this type of change?
- What are you working on and how will you be impacted by the change?
- What are your ideas about this change?
- Would you change anything about the change?
- Why do you think this change is needed (or not)?
- If you could tell the CEO one thing about this upcoming change, what would it be?
- What are you already doing in your day to day work that supports the change?
- What areas do you feel will be a challenge for you to adjust?
- What is your experience with past changes?
- What would help you most during these changes?
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