Addressing Employee Concerns During Innovation Changes

Hey leaders & CEOs – just saying “we’re doing AI” isn’t leadership. It’s anxiety. People are already worried about job security. We all see the headlines about layoffs and AI replacements are everywhere. If you're introducing AI into your org, I urge you to lead with transparency and do the work of change management. Otherwise, you're not leading. You're just triggering fear. I love building with AI but I will not stand by while you use the hype to quietly put your people's careers in jepardy. So when you drop a casual "We're embracing AI!" with zero roadmap, guess what I and many others hear? "Your role is probably next." Read. The. Room. Here’s what I demand from any leader (myself included) before we roll out AI company-wide: 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. If people can't see how the project grows both revenue and careers, you're not done thinking. What problem are you solving? Which workflows change first, and when? How will success be measured? 2️⃣ 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐏𝐔𝐬. Budget real money (think: 5–10 % of project cost) for training and role redesign before the pilot kicks off. 3️⃣ 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲. Change management isn’t a memo. It’s a conversation. Resistance is free user research. Treat it as signal, not noise. If you can’t articulate how AI will elevate your people, I think it's time to pause your "AI strategy" and fix your thinking/mindset. Because in 2025, transparency is a great business strategy.

I recently worked with a team driving a significant change initiative, only to face a lot of pushback from their team members. It reminded me of something Dr. Brené Brown has shared from her research: The number one shame trigger at work is fear of irrelevance. When we’re in shame, we behave in very patterned ways: we avoid, we appease and people-please, or we fight against. As leaders, we often find ourselves in positions to lead change. If we’re not considering how that change might trigger fears of irrelevance, we’re only making the process harder. Think about it. When team members feel irrelevant, they might: Avoid: Missing meetings, not engaging in discussions, or failing to contribute ideas. Appease and People-Please: Agreeing with everything without offering genuine input, overcommitting to tasks, or trying too hard to please everyone. Fight Against: Openly resisting changes, being overly critical, or spreading negativity. These behaviors can seriously hinder your change initiatives. Avoidance leads to a lack of innovation and progress. Appeasement results in half-hearted efforts and burnout. Resistance creates friction and slows down the entire process. As leaders, it’s crucial to recognize these patterns and address them head-on. Start by acknowledging the potential fear of irrelevance. Open up conversations about how changes might impact roles and responsibilities. Show empathy and understanding. By creating an environment where team members feel valued and relevant, we can ease the transition and make change less threatening. Encourage open dialogue, validate concerns, and highlight the importance of each person’s contribution. Remember, leading change isn’t just about the new processes or strategies—it’s about the people. Addressing the emotional aspects of change can transform resistance into resilience and pushback into progress. Next time you're leading a change initiative, consider how you're addressing these emotional triggers. How have you navigated these challenges with your team? Let’s share our stories and insights! #facilitator #thoughtleadership #businessleaders #teamdevelopment #decisionmaking Leading Authorities, Inc.

I just wrapped up a call with a new client in the education space, and one thing became crystal clear: no matter how innovative the technology, adoption hinges on people, communication, and alignment. The district is rolling out Promethean boards, moving away from Smart Boards to enhance the classroom experience. But here's the challenge: faculty and staff weren’t looped into the "why" behind the shift, the broader technology strategy, or even how this change benefits them. No wonder the training sessions are going unattended! In less than an hour, we tackled the root issues: 👥 People First: Ensuring faculty and staff feel seen, heard, and valued. 📢 Clarity in Communication: Why the change? How does it fit into the district’s vision? 🤝 Alignment Through Engagement: Involving faculty and staff in the conversation to understand their concerns and needs. And then we established actionable next steps: A clear plan to identify impacted employees, what their needs are and ideas to engage them in the change; and of course, how they're going to communicate the strategy, including what, when, why, and how it's happening to ensure training feels meaningful and accessible. Promethean boards have incredible potential to transform the classroom, and as with any innovation, success depends on how well people are brought along for the journey. Technology is a tool, but it’s the people who make transformation happen. When leadership takes the time to connect the dots, change starts to feel less like something done to employees and more like something built with them. Have you ever seen a promising change falter because people weren’t on board? How did you turn things around? #Leadership #Change #EmployeeEngagement #Technology #TrainingIsNotChangeManagement

Most change initiatives don't fail because of the change that's happening, they fail because of how the change is communicated. I've watched brilliant restructurings collapse and transformative acquisitions unravel… Not because the plan was flawed, but because leaders were more focused on explaining the "what" and "why" than on how they were addressing the fears and concerns of the people on their team. People don't resist change because they don't understand it. They resist because they haven't been given a compelling story about their role in it. This is where the Venture Scape framework becomes invaluable. The framework maps your team's journey through five distinct stages of change: The Dream - When you envision something better and need to spark belief The Leap - When you commit to action and need to build confidence The Fight - When you face resistance and need to inspire bravery The Climb - When progress feels slow and you need to fuel endurance The Arrival - When you achieve success and need to honor the journey The key is knowing exactly where your team is in this journey and tailoring your communication accordingly. If you're announcing a merger during the Leap stage, don't deliver a message about endurance. Your team needs a moment of commitment–stories and symbols that anchor them in the decision and clarify the values that remain unchanged. You can’t know where your team is on this spectrum without talking to them. Don’t just guess. Have real conversations. Listen to their specific concerns. Then craft messages that speak directly to those fears while calling on their courage. Your job isn't just to announce change, but to walk beside your team and help your team understand what role they play in the story at each stage. #LeadershipCommunication #Illuminate