How to engage employees in a positive transformation?

On this question, which is particularly relevant in the current period, Grant Alexander Executive Interim invited its transition managers to reflect during a digital workshop.
Led by Franck Pagny, change facilitator at Vivement Lundi, the workshop enabled a collective reflection around two axes: the desirable future and energy.

Shared pleasure precedes performance
Antoine Riboud, Founder and Chairman of Danone, already stated in 1972:
“Let’s lead our companies as much with the heart as with the head, and let us not forget that if the Earth’s energy resources are limited, those of humans are infinite if they feel motivated.”
This “heart” engages, provides enormous energy, and pushes people to give their best. It generates pleasure for employees and is an incredible positive driver of transformation for the company. As Emery Jacquillat, Chairman of CAMIF and President of the Community of Mission-Driven Companies, emphasizes:
“The levers of transformation: engage through purpose, dare to experiment, trust and autonomy, manage collaboratively, and share pleasure: Boldness, Agility, and Care.”

How to make the future desirable for employees?
During times of crisis, tension, and uncertainty, implementing a new decision or strategy may not generate enthusiasm or strong engagement.
For a leader, making the future desirable in such a context is more crucial than ever. The proposed future must represent a positive horizon and make sense to employees.
Questions to consider:
Is the future concrete?
Is it expressed in language everyone can understand?
In this future, will employees be executors or contributors?
Is the path motivating?
Is it aligned with the company’s and employees’ values?
Through group exercises, transition managers shared ideas on how leaders can achieve this, highlighting key success factors:
Be transparent, reassure, combine enthusiasm and ambition.
Involve all stakeholders through collective intelligence processes to make them active contributors and provide autonomy.
Emphasize the benefits of transformation for employees, highlighting their role and making their work more interesting.
Focus energy on major changes to propose a realistic, well-marked path aligned with the company strategy.

How to bring energy to your team?
In these stressful times, employees are worried and tired: lockdowns, remote work, uncertainties, health concerns… Yet all leaders and employees need energy.
Energy can come from three sources: recognition, reducing irritants (behavioral, material, organizational), and celebrating successes.
42% of employees feel unrecognized by their managers (source: 11th edition of the Health and Quality of Work Life Barometer, Malakoff Médéric Humanis 2019), which is a major demotivation factor. Recognition, however, boosts energy, self-esteem, and gives meaning to good work and effort.

Recognition in 360°
In challenging times and with budget restrictions, the first reflex is often to stop events. However, celebrations can be organized at little or no cost. They are a powerful lever to create and reinforce social bonds, maintain morale and pride, share collective successes, and deliver positive news.
To instill a culture of recognition and boost team energy, transition managers identified behaviors and concrete actions, such as:
Manage with trust and focus on the positive.
Reach out to teams even in uncertain times.
Understand others’ perspectives, accept differences, and act with kindness.
Reduce hierarchical layers and encourage collective intelligence.
Celebrate victories, successes, and team performance.
Encourage initiatives to organize celebrations of small wins and set up rituals to share success.
Implement a “good news tree.”
Highlight recognition of an employee or team by a satisfied client.

This first digital workshop by Grant Alexander Executive Interim led to a rich exchange of best practices and ideas! A moment of co-construction and co-development particularly appreciated by participants, and one that will be repeated throughout the year.
A huge thank you to our transition managers! With a true athlete mindset, their remarkable energy and enthusiasm make them the daily drivers of positive organizational transformation.
Special thanks to Franck Pagny for leading the workshop. He is the author of Vivement Lundi (2020), which presents 10 levers to develop pleasure and engagement at work, a source of economic and social performance.