Resistance is Real: Leading people through strategic transformation and change

By Jeff Skipper, CEO Jeff Skipper Consulting

Follow-up blog post for January 16 webinar

CCVO Capacity Building webinars offer participants the opportunity to submit questions to the presenter, for consideration to include in a follow-up blog post. Webinars are pre-recorded, however, participants are encouraged to ask questions via the comment box. Please note that speakers address questions submitted up to three days after the webinar launch date.

Thank you to the listeners of the recent webinar “Resistance is Real”. Below is the presenter’s response to a question from one of the webinar attendees.

Question from attendee:
Isn't it important to celebrate success once change is implemented? The only thing that I was surprised not to see in here was highlighting how important it is to celebrate the success once a project or change is complete.

Response from presenter:

It’s Party Time!!

Everyone smiles at those words. At work, parties signify major milestones and significant accomplishments. They are essential to every change effort and an important part of creating capacity for more change.

Everyone loves to feel appreciated. When major efforts go unacknowledged people can feel ‘ripped off’. It causes them to consider why they worked so hard and invested so much to help.

As leaders of change, it’s important to build in time for celebration for several reasons:

1. Give thanks

We acknowledge people’s efforts and thank them so no one feels taken for granted. Plus, it’s just good manners! It’s a critical part of the feedback cycle.

2. Cement a positive sense of accomplishment

Especially when a change program has been difficult and created pain along the way, a well-run celebration can help people feel good about the experience so that when people look back and recount their experience, they associate it with a positive emotion.

3. Build resilience

If we want people to continue to embrace change – to keep coming back for more – then it helps to do something that is 100% for employees which reinforces success. Celebrations remind people of what we are capable of accomplishing.

Make the celebration commensurate with the importance and difficulty of the change. You don’t have to break the bank; make it meaningful with executive accolades and humorous awards. Don’t be like the consulting firm that rewarded a year of my change management work by giving me a USB stick filled with pictures of the celebrations I was unable to attend...because I was working.

Jeff Skipper is an expert in implementing rapid change. Jeff holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and is a Certified Change Management Professional. His first book will be published in 2020. More about him at www.jeffskipperconsulting.com

Resistance to Change is a CCVO Capacity Building webinar. These webinars cover topics of interest to nonprofit professionals, and will include presentations on public policy, leadership, human resources, and technology - all at no cost. Listen in to learn, and build your capacity in the areas you’d like to know more about in order to be more effective in your job, for your clients, and the community. Upcoming webinar topics are listed below. Please visit the CCVO website for more information and registration details.

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Questions about CCVO webinars? Please contact programs@calgarycvo.org.