Empowering Your Team for Change
Cathie Leimbach • November 5, 2024
Have you ever felt like you were the only one trying to push your organization forward? It's a common struggle. But what if you could inspire a whole group of people to become champions of change?
That's where the "Three Es of Effective Change" come in. Let's focus on the second E: Empower.
Why is empowering a broad group of change champions so important?
- Role Models: When change-ready team members embrace new ways of thinking and working, they set an example for others to follow.
- Adoption: These role models can inspire and motivate their colleagues to adopt new behaviors.
- Positive Reinforcement: By highlighting successful behaviors, change champions can strengthen desired actions and discourage unproductive ones.
How can you do this?
- Identify Influencers: Look for people who have a strong influence on others. These might be managers, supervisors, or front-line employees.
- Provide Training: Equip these champions with the knowledge and skills they need to drive change.
- Give Them a Voice: Ask them to provide feedback to senior leadership on their progress on inspiring change and listen to their ideas and perspectives for addressing challenges along the way.
Remember:
- It's not just about communication: Change champions should also be seen as partners who can provide feedback and support.
- Be bold: Encourage your team to challenge the status quo and take risks.
- Create a tipping point: Even a small group of change-ready committed individuals representing a cross-section of the company can significantly impact the entire organization.
By empowering a broad group of change leaders, you can create a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Most CEOs focus on strategy, systems, and talent. But the biggest driver of performance is already in place: managers. Manager behavior influences about 70% of team engagement and results. What happens in everyday conversations matters more than perks, pay, or policies. Managers either multiply energy or drain it. Clear, supportive managers raise performance. Avoiding, inconsistent managers quietly lower it. The good news? Small habits make a big difference: Clarifying expectations Giving timely feedback Addressing issues early Reinforcing priorities These moments add up. Instead of telling managers to “motivate people,” try asking: Where might expectations be unclear? Where is inconsistency allowed? What conversation is being avoided? When managers improve just a little, results improve a lot. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to explore how everyday manager habits quietly shape engagement and results.
When engagement drops, many organizations reach for perks—rewards, programs, or incentives. These can create a short lift, but they rarely solve the real issue. Engagement starts with expectations. Most people want to do good work. What gets in the way isn’t motivation—it’s uncertainty. When priorities shift, roles feel unclear, or success means different things to different leaders, people disengage quietly. Leaders often don’t realize they’re contributing to this. Vague direction, inconsistent follow-through, or assuming “they already know” leaves teams guessing. Over time, guessing turns into frustration—and frustration turns into disengagement. Strong engagement cultures focus on leadership basics: Clear priorities Shared definitions of success Aligned expectations Consistent reinforcement When expectations are clear, people move with confidence. They take ownership, collaborate better, and stay engaged because they know where they’re headed. Perks can support engagement—but only after clarity is in place. 👉 Read our full article on Why Engagement Starts With Expectations to turn clarity into a real advantage.