Cultivating Resilience During Change
Focusing on the human side of change.
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” — Albert Einstein
As organizations race to adopt increasingly intelligent tools, many leaders are asking the wrong question – replace What is the most advanced tech for our people? to What performance gaps can we solve with emerging tech?
The future will not belong simply to organizations with the most gizmos — it will belong to the organizations that are most adaptable, resilient, and capable of leading people through constant change.
Yet despite massive investments in technology and learning platforms, employee engagement continues to decline. According to Gallup, only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged at work today — the lowest level in nearly a decade.
At the same time:
The Fix
The leaders who succeed during disruption tend to do a few things consistently:
Normalize uncertainty without amplifying fear
Clarify expectations repeatedly
Create space for dialogue and concerns
Respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally
Reinforce culture and trust during moments of stress
One framework we frequently use with leaders is the Prosci ADKAR model, which focuses on sustaining behavior change across teams and organizations:
For example, organizations rolling out a new performance management process often focus heavily on compliance and logistics. Resilient leaders go further:
Awareness - Clearly explain why the performance process is happening now; what was wrong with the old system? (e.g. not standardized across the org)
Desire – What’s in it for leaders to adopt the new system and how HR is addressing employee concerns
Knowledge - Equip managers with communication frameworks and the evaluation criteria
Ability - Practice sample feedback conversations via realistic scenarios and trainings
Reinforce - Track adoption from people leaders and report back to them
Watch Live! Intelligent Adaptation = Survival
As Charles Darwin famously observed: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
The organizations that thrive during uncertainty will not simply be the ones with intelligent systems. They will be the ones that intentionally build intelligent cultures.
Do you want to see strategies and scenarios for resilient change live? Ibis is hosting a complementary workshop on Thurs, June 11th at 1pm EST on Cultivating Resilient Change. Register via link below!
We will feature professional actors portraying hyper-realistic dialogues; attendees will walk away experiencing and practice techniques to:
-Communicate change with clarity and empathy
-Respond effectively during stressful moments
-Build trust and psychological safety