How to Support Your Boss Through Organizational Change

Understanding Resistance to Change

• 💡 The "cool" thing to do when change is introduced is to disagree, grumble, or complain, but professionals are supportive of their boss's change efforts.
• 🚀 The concept of the "or cart" illustrates three groups during change: those actively pulling (supporters), those in the cart (neutral/dead weight), and those hanging off the back (resistors).
• 🧠 Most individuals resist change due to biological predisposition towards sameness and avoiding trouble, making active support crucial.
• ⚠️ It's important to distinguish between active resistance and inadvertent mistakes or forgetting, avoiding a "witch hunt" for minor errors.

The "Machiavellian" Approach to Change

• 🎯 If you believe a change is a bad idea, the most sensible approach is to give it a fair shake and let it fail on its own merits.
• 📈 If a change is actively resisted, a manager cannot determine if the failure is due to the idea itself or the team's lack of effort.
• 🗣️ Organizations are not democracies; while input is valuable, unanimous approval is not required before a change is implemented.

Behaviors of a Team Player

• ✅ Being a team player is defined by a set of behaviors, not just a state of mind, and includes verbally supporting new initiatives.
• 🤝 When your boss introduces change, verbally support it in meetings and with colleagues, even if you might have chosen a different path.
• 💬 Phrases like "I can see why we want to change that" or "That seems like a step worth taking" demonstrate support without needing to be overly enthusiastic.
• 🚫 Organizations are not designed to foster constant disagreement; if your idea isn't chosen, support the winning decision rather than pouting or withholding effort.

Supporting Your Boss in Their Absence

• 🌟 Support your boss even when they are not present by not joining colleagues who are complaining about changes.
• ⚖️ The only ethical paths are to be supportive both to your boss's face and behind their back, or to actively resist if it's a matter of conscience (though most workplace disagreements are not ethical issues).
• 🎭 Being supportive to your boss's face and unsupportive behind their back is nasty, unethical, and relationship-destroying.
• 🚀 The recommended path is to support your boss when they are present and when they are not, which is the professional and ethical choice.

Embracing Change as Inevitable

• 📈 Change is inevitable; organizations that resist it, like those slow to adopt email or new software, are often steamrolled by history.
• 🔑 Being a team player means verbally supporting your boss, not being two-faced, and withholding your best work efforts is detrimental.
• 🏆 The time to influence change is before a decision is made, not by dragging your feet afterward.
• 🤝 Supporting the winning decision, even if it wasn't your preferred choice, is a crucial aspect of collaboration and teamwork.