Yes. It’s a girl!
You know that great feeling when your kids are well out of diapers, gaining more independence every day, and you are functioning well as a family – schedules are set, roles are established and you’re enjoying that next stage in your life?
I was exactly there this year. My kids, a 10 and 6 year old, were thriving at the same school where my wife, their mom, is a teacher. We had a great rhythm in our lives – we’d sorted out our systems.
Then we had a surprise.
It was a good surprise, but a very surprising surprise. We found out we were expecting the unexpected…another baby!
It’s terrific news and we are very excited and it changes everything. The unique change in our family structure reminds me of the kinds of changes my clients – and my own business – constantly face. Things are humming along, systems in place, a great staff, strong sales and then something changes in the economy, or with your product, or your supplier. An unexpected (positive or negative) event can be very stressful.
This is where good change leadership is important.
As executive coaches, we work with clients who are navigating change and as a business owner I work through change in my organization all the time.
Here’s a great short article by Douglas A. Ready I came across in the Harvard Business Journal that narrows down 4 Things Successful Change Leaders do well. He narrows it down to 1) Recognizing embedded tensions and paradoxes, 2) Holding everyone accountable, 3) Investing in new organizational capabilities, and 4) Emphasizing continuous learning. You can read the whole article here and be prepared for the next big change in your organization (and life)!