Change is one of the inevitable constants of life, which means it also finds its way in droves into just about every facet of the business world.
Each year businesses and organizations of every size either embrace the kind of changes they need to grow, or they risk fading in the pale dim light of inefficiency.
Michael Charles is an expert on team development, organizational effectiveness, and leadership. He is a John Maxwell Certified trainer, speaker, and coach. Charles enjoys sharing his experience and insights on leadership as well as intentional living through his website leadingwithintent.com
Charles is also the founder and CEO of the Light The World Foundation. It is a charity organization whose mission is to educate, empower, and inspire the next generation of leaders. “I work with a lot of business owners help them to set up processes and practices to help get them on the path to having more time to do the things that they truly want to be doing!”
He also has worked with municipalities, and project management companies to help set up PMOs and putting processes in place to be more effective as well as being able to reach out to all the stakeholders. He shares insight on how to best do this, and streamline the process of identifying problem areas to produce effective changes and improvements.
How Do You Get Started Implementing Improvements?
“The first thing I do is take a look at their different processes. I look at their products and things like how their people interact with each other. I try to understand what their goal is and how they can do things better to be able to reach that goal,” Explained Charles.
He notes that with a lot of companies and organizations that are struggling to meet those goals, that the necessary changes aren’t always apparent. “You can’t see yourself when you are still in the frame.”
Being able to come in as a consultant or a coach brings a fresh perspective that’s designed to help each of his clients. “It’s having that outside presence coming in. You can see the dysfunctions here and there. Sometimes in different areas,” said Charles.
Leadership And Personnel Training Also Plays An Important Role
After looking at their processes and people Charles then turns his focus to the leadership. Someone asked him once if he would rather have a place with good processes and bad people or a place with good people and bad processes? “I will take good people over bad processes every single time!”
“Good people are those who want to work and do well, they just don’t have the system in place to do it. I can come in and work with them to improve their processes,” Charles clarified.
How Do You Get People To Buy Into The Change?
Of course, by nature, many human beings are inherently uncomfortable with change. “It’s the uncertainty of the unknown. What I do is try to help them cross that bridge into feeling more comfortable with the change and realizing that they can have a lot more return on investment by being more effective and efficient.”
The amount of effort and the techniques Charles uses to build this bring to change can vary from one company to the next. Size, scope, sector, and niche, as well as the severity of the inefficiencies, can all be very important factors.
“The number one thing I try to do is help them to understand the bigger picture. Sometimes people try to shove change down someone’s throat, and it makes them resistant,” Charles explained.
“Once you get them to buy in, you can step back a little. Because it is a lot easier to show them how they will benefit by implementing the changes that need to be made. You can’t just come in saying you’ve been doing it all wrong, and that this is the right way to do it!”
What Is The Best Approach For Dealing With Someone Who Might Be Reluctant?
That type of approach tends to make people defensive. “It gets a lot harder to get them to implement the change when you come in acting some know-it-all kind of guy,” Charles said.
Of course, there are always going to be a handful of individuals in any group who feel reluctant to some degree. Yet there are a few tips and tricks Charles has learned over the years to help get these people to buy into a particular change or new way of doing things.
“Something I will do is get them to try it without necessarily making it a long-term commitment. I will tell them Okay… let’s try this together! I’ll be here to help you through the process, and if you don’t see the benefits to it, I will help you out with that,” Charles explained.
How Long Does It Take To Truly Implement Improvements?
How long it takes for everyone in a business or an organization to buy into a change can vary wildly. “With small businesses, it’s usually easier and faster. A large business or corporation obviously takes a lot more time. Sometimes there is an internal cultural barrier that you also need to cross in order to get everyone on board.”
The sector and industry might also influence the process as well. Certain industries have trends and policies in place that are systematic. In some of these cases, the change may take longer to implement.
Where Can I Learn More?
Charles has also taken to using social media and various videos to both promote his services as well as get his point across. “For years I knew I wanted to do leadership and personal development video. To get people to get out of their comfort zone.” He also has other videos out on Youtube, Facebook, and other social media outlets on time management and leadership. Michael Charles also funnels many of his media messages through his website leadingwithintent.com
- Listen to Michael Charles on Biz Bast Radio
