Author: Melanie Vargas

These are unprecedented times. Change is hard, and yet, we are all living in a world of constant change. We don’t know what we are going to see when we turn on the TV or look on our phones from one moment to the next. The role of leader continues to be more complex. Many of my clients are struggling as they lead dispersed teams, and navigate the fears, feelings and constant uncertainty. Their roles as leaders will remain challenging.

As a leader, how often have you encountered resistance to change? How will you keep employees engaged and handle fear and uncertainty in the workplace? Even small changes can encounter resistance.

Last year, I went through my own life transition when I decided to launch a new business. When the pandemic hit, I spent three weeks in a state of fear, wondering if I should find a job and questioning if it was the right time to launch a business. Once I moved past the fear, I refocused on the future. Creativity and resilience set in, allowing me to see a necessary pivot. William Bridges calls this the Neutral Zone of the transition. It is also a period where tremendous creativity can happen. As I embraced this new transition, my business began to grow. I’ve learned a great deal about leading and driving change inside organizations, but the past year, full of my own transition, has taught me even more.

We have adapted William Bridges’ Managing in Transitions model to include emotions in each zone:

Bridges says that transitions start with an ending. This is the first phase of the transition in the model. Endings are sometimes hard and come with many feelings including denial, anger, shock, anxiety, avoidance and more.

The second phase, the neutral zone, of transition comes after letting go. This is the time between the old reality and sense of identity and the new one. People are creating new processes and learning what their new roles will be. They are in flux and may feel confusion and distress.

We call the Neutral Zone the “messy middle”.

 

However, this is also a time of creativity and learning. Many of saw this during the Pandemic when businesses were learning to pivot, and there was a tremendous amount of creativity and innovation happening.

New Beginnings involve moving through to new understandings and attitudes. Beginnings are marked by a release of energy in a new direction – they are an expression of a fresh identity. Once we are at the top of the curve, we feel energized. We feel a renewed sense of trust. We have relief.

The goal as leaders is to help first to identify where we are on the curve, and then to identify our team on the curve. Understanding that we all show up differently.

The challenge for leaders is to manage both organizational change and the psychological reorientation that accompany it. Often, leaders focus too much on the change itself and not enough on the human side—the psychological and emotional process people go through. Transition requires helping people let go of the past and move forward into the unknown. Changes may involve workforce reductions, pay cuts, furloughs, or returning to work during COVID. For these shifts to succeed, individuals and organizations need to acknowledge the change and embrace the transition. Often, it’s not the change people ordinarily resist, but the transition process itself.

Letting go of the past is difficult for many employees. This is saying good-bye to the way things used to be; it is concern about what is being lost; concern about what they have to let go of. As we work with organizations, it is not uncommon to hear employees complaining about changes that happened months or even years ago. Holding on to resentments from the past prevents employees from creating the future.

It will be some time before things “return to normal.” Employees may struggle to let go of the past and may feel resentment or anxiety about new ways of working. By helping leaders reduce anxiety, fear, confusion, and resentment, employees are more likely to engage and move forward with resilience. Just as we plan for the mechanics of change, we must also plan for the transitions that come with it.

Here are some steps for transitions that we’ve found work best inside organizations:

Step One: Communicate

• Listen to the positives and the negatives.
• Allow people to express themselves.
• Make sure to communicate context in your messaging.

Step Two: Establish Trust

• Clarify what is ending for whom.
• Act as a role model.
• Identify who may resist and why, and consider how to address it.

Step Three: Engage

• Engage teams in the process. Allow them to have input either in “what” will change or “how” it will be implemented.
• Involve key individuals who need to support the changes.

Step Four: Recognize Impact

• Understand what is ending for whom.
• Identify impact on people, resources and workloads
• Assess where there will be any resistance and plan to minimize.

Step Five: Honor the past

• Don’t skip this important step. Seek to understand the reasons for resistance.
• Be open to hearing stories and allow space to honor past accomplishments.
• Recognize the organization’s journey as a story—acknowledging the close of one chapter and the start of another.

Step Six: Accept Different Responses to Change

• Validate everyone’s individual experiences.
• Don’t expect others to react as you would.
• If you thrive in change, be mindful and patient with those who may struggle.
• Maintain a coaching mindset, fostering a safe environment for openness and honesty.

In times of uncertainty, leaders must rise to the challenge of guiding their teams through both the external and internal aspects of change. By focusing on the both the change and transition, as well as staying aware of their own internal responses to transitions, leaders can support their teams in adapting with resilience. This approach not only fosters smoother transitions but also cultivates a culture of adaptability and empathy in the face of ongoing change.

 

Melanie is the Founder & CEO of Radical Ignition, a firm dedicated to developing leaders and their teams. Drawing on 30 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience, she has coached hundreds of executives and teams from six continents across a range of industries, from startups to family-owned businesses, mid-market companies, and Fortune 50 firms.  She works with leaders from brands such as Fresenius Medical Care, CVS Health, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Amdocs, Checkpoint, Cedar, and Airtable.

Her coaching philosophy revolves around fostering a thought-provoking and creative partnership with her clients. She believes in empowering clients to unlock their full potential by challenging conventional thinking and encouraging innovative problem-solving.

She is a certified executive coach through the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She also serves on the Boards for the Seattle Hudson Coach Community and the ICF Chapter for Washington State.

Dorsey & Whitney, LLP Webinar Playback

Pivoting Post-Covid: Practical And Legal Considerations To Building Better Companies And Their Leaders

We’re moving from the greatest change period we’ve ever experienced. Some companies pivoted to remote work overnight. Others hit the “pause” button and are now re-launching. How should executives look at their businesses to take maximum advantage of what we’ve learned in the last 3 months? What are the legal and practical implications of changing your business strategy in today’s world? And what can executives learn about themselves in the process? Mike Droke , Partner from Dorsey & Whitney, led an Interactive Dialogue with executive Dan Stachelski and serial start-up executive and business coach Melanie Vargas, on what successful companies are doing to pivot their businesses post-Covid.

Watch the Webinar

According to the World Economic Forum’s “Why you need Emotional Intelligence”, 90% of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence (EQ). On the flip side, just 20% of bottom performers are high in emotional intelligence. You can be a top performer without emotional intelligence, but the chances are slim.

We used to think that emotional intelligence was only an important factor in how we manage and lead people. While this is still true, it is equally important that individuals learn the value of EQ in their individual contributor roles.

Having worked as a human resources executive for over 20 years in technology companies, I am continually amazed at how organizations focus on the value of technical skills exclusively. While I believe those technical skills are vital, what about their behavior? Would you agree that people are hired for what they know but fired for who they are?

I have found that many organizations don’t teach their managers to hire for culture, values, or for behavior. A hiring process needs to include a technical screen, but more importantly, it needs to include behavioral-based questions, as well as questions specific to your organizational culture.

Many engineers struggle with their interpersonal skills and it affects their productivity in meetings and communication with co-workers. Unfortunately, no one has the luxury of sitting at desk creating things without interacting with others. We all have to work together. In all of the many years I have worked with the most brilliant engineers, I have heard many times “Yes, I know he blows up in meetings, behaves inappropriately, but we can’t fire him because of our deliverables.” What cost does this have on our organizations in terms of engagement and productivity?

In addition, colleges and universities need train their students on soft skills in engineering-focused degree programs. Many new grad engineers enter the workplace and struggle to be successful based on their lack of soft skills. We need to equip engineering students with self-awareness, so that they can learn to be adaptable to working with others. Even engineers have to “sell” and “influence” others on their ideas.

Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan developed a course inside Google, Search Inside Yourself, that teaches engineers EQ, and the framework was developed around the five components of leadership skills: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Fast Company says that “The course focuses on what’s happening in the brain when you’re having certain thoughts and feelings, and encourages reflection rather than reaction.”

The mitigation for this and my hope for the future is that we help engineers grow and expand with soft skill development and enhance their EQ. EQ is a balance between the rational and emotional brain, and one has the ability to increase your EQ just as you can hone hard skillsets.

Here and Now

We are living in a world of fear and uncertainty making many of us incapable of living in the moment.

I’ve been thinking about where the silver linings are in all of this, as this approach has helped me face my own struggles in life. I also encourage my family to use this approach when they are facing adversity.

Human Reboot

Is it possible that we might have needed a little reboot? Haven’t we been a little self-absorbed lately? I have to admit that I have been guilty of jumping out of bed in the morning to check social media and then read my email even before greeting my family. I have been a little off track. I have spent a lot of time focused on “me, myself, and I”.

When you turn on the news, you see the devastation of it all. It is easy to get caught up in the panic – rushing to the grocery story with the rest of the crowds. Believe me, no one is feeling fear more than me – I’m launching a business in the midst of all of this insanity.

What about us? The world? Where is the “we” in all of this?

Where are the silver linings?

I decided to stop in the middle of this and pay attention to the here and now. What is happening right now. I’ve seen families sharing COVID plans on FB that include daily routines for their families with exercise, creativity time, and academic plans. I have seen whole families on bike rides early in the day during the work week. I have seen families out on walks with their teenagers. Teenagers that are typically upstairs locked in the rooms, with their faces stuck on the phones in Snap Chat. Is it possible part of this might be bringing us closer? Could it be forcing us to pay attention to what really matters?

So what is the silver lining? Maybe we could love a little deeper. Maybe we could appreciate the ones we love. Maybe we will stop caring just a little about getting more stuff and making more money. The truth is that we don’t take all of this “stuff” with us at the end of it all. Maybe we will put down our phones, turn off the TV, play some cards or take a walk with our loved ones, because they are the ones who really matter.

How to stay positive in a time of uncertainty

One of the best ways to stay positive is to stay away from the negativity. Trust me – I’ve got my COVID trackers up every day, but I have decided to limit myself to one hour a day of research and media exposure. Limiting social media can also help. There is a tremendous amount of gloom and doom out there (also a lot of misinformation). You want to stay informed but limit how much you are doing this.

Having a daily routine outside of work that includes mindfulness practices, outdoor exercise, family time and creativity time can also really help. Having structure can really help when you are home bound with your family.
What can you do to pay attention to what is happening right now? Stay in the moment. There is enough. I have enough. I am enough. You have exactly what you need right now. Don’t be afraid.

Be here now.

Why I Love Transition Coaching

After 25 years of a thriving HR career, I made the decision in 2018 to attend the prestigious Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara to pursue my executive coaching credentials. I began the rigorous year-long program in January 2019. While I knew it was going to be a huge commitment much like a Master’s program, I thought it was the right time in my life.

I would be turning 50 and my kids were getting older with my daughter heading into high school. What I didn’t know then, was that my life would fall apart in the middle of the program.

Talk about being close to your work.

Hudson requires 50 hours of coaching clients during the year-long program. But while I was coaching alongside so many clients going through their own transitions, I found myself smack dab in the middle of my own transition. And I was blindsided by most of it.

My father suddenly passed away. And as an avid runner and gym rat, my health took a turn. In addition, while I was dealing with the grief of losing my dad, I was feeling discontent in my career. Not sure where I wanted to go next, I felt utterly stuck. I knew I wanted to make a change but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I was trapped and tired.

As described in Fredrick Hudson’s The Adult Years, I was in the Doldrums (Hudson 1999). I knew I wanted something more.

Shedding old skins.

Thankfully, the Hudson Institute also requires that you engage with a coach throughout the program. I began a deep exploration and transformation with my coach’s help and learned so much from my own coaching clients. Transition is “an era of instability, shedding, and new discovery” (Hudson 1999), and that’s exactly what I did.

Working with my coach, I found my inspired future.

It was through this transition that I experienced an amazing transformation. I was awakened to change.

I realigned some goals around my health and crafted a better focus on my family. I was able to leave my job, take some time off over the summer while finishing Hudson, and launch a new business over the fall. In this, by coaching clients through transitions, I found a new joy.

But what exactly does this look like?

These are some of my favorite coaching questions for people in transition:

1. What do you want? What inspires you/brings you energy?
2. How would it make you feel if you had it?
3. What are you afraid of? What is getting in the way?
4. What are the strengths and talents that you love using? (this often requires some digging)
5. What have you tried so far?

 

I love exploring with my clients what the possibilities might be and what might be getting in the way of them reaching their goals– a gap analysis of a life journey.

When I started Hudson, I never dreamed that I would leave my job and start my own business and that I would be living my dream. But the possibilities are limitless. There is joy on the other side, I can confirm. And we learn about how to get better in the process. How can you lean in and find your joy on the other side?