Advertise on podcast: Talking Change with Jen and Rebecca

Talking Change: Must-Have Conversations for Successful Leaders is a great reference book to help you lead change that sticks - through conversation. There are three parts to the book: Part 1: The foundations of change, definitions, resistance, and why change is often challenging. Part 2: Why and how to have conversations and with whom.  Part 3: 20 pivotal conversations broken down into three sections (1) Self-Reflection Conversations - to uncover your approach to leading during change, (2) Planning and Managing Conversations - to plan and manage change with confidence, and (3) Engagement Conversations - to engage your employees and teams to build buy-in and commitment to change.  In all the other Talking Change with Jen and Rebecca podcast episodes we dive deep into each conversation to discuss why, when, and how to have it. Each conversation has a purpose - get out there and have them!  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

The final conversation in the Planning and Managing Conversations! Did we achieve what we set out to do - that is the focus of this conversation. Rebecca and I talk about when to have it, with whom, and some which conversations to revisit to create your success measures.  Enjoy!  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

The purpose of the is conversation is to manage the activities, issues, and decisions involved in implementing your change, to alter course as needed, and to keep your key stakeholders and sponsors informed of progress.  Learn some of the key questions and who to have involved in these discussions. Download Status Report templates in MS Word and PowerPoint from my website.  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

Change means you will need people to do something more, better, or different. The Performance Conversation will identify the skill gap from your current state to your new desired state, and it will help you create the reinforcement strategies needed to sustain the new skills and behaviours and realize the benefits of your change.  And you'll learn a little bit about mimeographs in one of Jen's stories about change!  This conversation doesn't happen enough during change, so tune in and find out the different factors to consider when engaging in the Performance Conversation to lead change successfully.  Enjoy!  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

"Communication, especially during change, is everyone's responsibility" - Rebecca, a long-time communications professional, brings loads of insight to this conversation. Planning your communications during major (or even minor) change is a fluid process. In this podcast we dive into: Where to start when planning your communications (hint: Stakeholders and key messages!) How to communicate with different audiences  Who should be communicating what during change  And more key questions to develop your communication plan - download the free Communication Plan template off my website  They is a lot to consider when planning your change communications - both one-way and two-way feedback loops - this podcast will point you in the right direction to communicate with confidence. IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

Are you creating the 'raindrop effect' on your people? This is when your employees get requests from many different groups and they don't know what should be prioritized. You need to have the Coordinate Your Asks Conversation to identify activities and requests from across your organization and prioritize what you will ask of your people - before you send out all the asks.  This is a must-have conversation during any major change, so as not to overwhelm people with too many to dos, but it's also just good day-to-day business practice.  You can use the Month in a Box template (download it here) to prepare for this conversation, but the key is to actually have the conversation and realize how many different things people are being asked to do, then to actually coordinate the timing of your asks 'from head office' so that all your employees don't have to try to figure out what is top priority - you've done it for them.  Enjoy your conversation! IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

This is your chance to create a Stakeholder Map! The Stakeholder Conversation - figuring out who is impacted and how - is so important during change, but remember, you need to have it more than once! Find out how to identify your stakeholder groups, how to check your assumptions, and whether or not you need every stakeholder group fully committed to make change happen. This conversation lays the groundwork for your communications and training so get out there and have it. Download your free Stakeholder Map Template at www.actionimpactmovement.com/resources. IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

It was Throwback Thursday in this episode as Rebecca and I welcomed our special guest - Grandma Brenda (aka our mom). We delved into what leading change was like during her career that spanned the 70s - 2000s and learned some key lessons that are still applicable today. It was fun to have her on the podcast and hear her great insights about leading people through change!  Beki and I often ask ourselves 'WWGBD?' (What would Grandma Brenda do?) - and now we have her leading change wisdom to add to the many other lessons we've learned from her over the years.  Thanks Mom!  Enjoy!  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

What is the magnitude of change you are implementing? And is your organization (i.e., your people) ready for it?  In this episode Rebecca and Jen dive into the questions to ask to assess the situation as you embark on change - and there just may be a reference to Jersey Shore.  The maturity level of your organization (e.g., how long your systems or processes have been in place), the number of people affected, the degree of behaviour change expected, the resources available, and your track record of past change implementations will all impact future change efforts.  The Situation Conversation uncovers the magnitude and readiness of your organization and your people to accept and integrate changes successfully.  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

Now that you know WHY you are changing, next up is to figure out WHAT, WHEN, and HOW you will make the change. This is definitely a conversation you will have one more time with feeling, with different groups.  Two key points in this conversation: Decide what need to change by looking at the different business results you want. Technology should not drive process - even though we know technology is more interesting than process mapping - start with your process mapping to figure out what you do now that is driving your current business results. We dive into those key points and all the questions you need to ask for figure out what to change, when it makes the most sense to change within your business cycle, how to make the change - from who's involved to what to pilot, and how you will fund this exciting adventure.  This is a big conversation! Let's get started!  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

Why are we changing? And why now? Two very important questions to answer as you embark on a change in your organization. In this episode Jen and Rebecca dive into one of the first conversations needed to lead change successfully. For those instigating the change, this conversation (likely to be had many times) helps them move through their transition to adopt and then lead change. The Why Conversation is a chance to brainstorm ideas, wrestle with ideas, debate, and decide on why things need to be different.  For those impacted the by the change, this conversation is a chance to understand why change is happening now and buy into the reason(s) it's happening.  There are lots of questions to consider when having the Why Conversation - and they can be the same questions whether it's a chosen or imposed change. Listen to the podcast to hear them all and a few real-life examples along the way.  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.

In this episode Rebecca and I talk about chapter four in Talking Change: Must-Have Conversations for Successful Leaders - Why Conversations are Needed. We discuss the benefits of conversations and why conversations are needed to create change. In the book I refer to AIM Changing Conversations - conversations that help people commit to Action, make an Impact, and create Movement towards change. The goal of AIM Changing Conversations is to be curious and create common understanding.  Being curious sets the stage for truly impactful conversations. And developing common understanding among team members is so important in today's diverse (and busy...aka distracted) workforce.  I quote the Grateful Dead, we talk about the perspective of an ant, and there are a few kid-laughs in the background of this one. Tune in for those points and hear all the benefits (and our real-life examples) of why conversations are needed to make change stick.  IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE GAME Are you managing or supporting a change initiative? Take the Leading Change for Project Managers course to build your confidence, skills, and toolbox to plan and manage change with ease. Are you leading a team through change – whether you chose the change or not? Bring the AIM Changer program to your organization – it will change the way you lead forever.