Importance of People Focus in Change Management

Too many organizations treat transformation as something to be done to their people. Rather than something their people are part of. This subtle difference matters a lot. In my experience, the most powerful shift comes when people start feeling like they belong to the change. How do you get there? → Clearly communicate the why behind every shift. People need purpose, not just direction. → Give teams a genuine voice. Let them shape the path, not just follow it. → Build ownership at every level. Empower leaders and frontline teams alike to champion and steer the change. When change is co-created, people become ambassadors, not obstacles. They feel seen. Heard. Included. That’s how you turn a top-down mandate into a shared movement.

Change isn’t just about strategy—it’s about people. Yet too often, leaders roll out new initiatives, restructure teams, or shift priorities without providing the necessary context, expectations, or support. The result? Confusion, frustration, and resistance. When change lacks clarity, it also lacks two key emotional intelligence competencies: 💡Empathy (Social Awareness): Leaders who don’t anticipate how change impacts their people miss the opportunity to address concerns proactively. Without empathy, employees feel unseen and unheard. 💡Relationship Management: Change requires trust, communication, and alignment. Without clarity, teams struggle to stay engaged, morale dips, and trust erodes. You know what else happens? Key contributors lose confidence when they no longer feel competent in their roles. People don’t resist change—they resist uncertainty. And uncertainty thrives in the absence of clear, emotionally intelligent leadership. And emotionally intelligent leadership lowers the threat threshold of their team. Before implementing change, ask: ✅ Have I clearly explained why this change is happening? ✅ Have I acknowledged the emotional impact on my team? ✅ Have I created space for questions and dialogue? ✅ Have I prepared proper training to support my team? Emotional intelligence isn’t just about staying calm—it’s about leading with clarity, connection, and care. Because when people feel informed and considered, they don’t just endure change—they help drive it. How have you seen EQ (or the lack of it) impact organizational change? Let’s discuss. ⬇️ #emotionalIntelligent #changeManagement

65% of AI & Tech Transformations Fail 🚫 Why? Because they forget one thing: People. I've spent 25+ years in healthcare leadership, and here's what I know: transformation fails when we forget the human element. Digital transformations often fall short of expectations. Why? Because we're solving the wrong problem. 7 critical shifts needed in 2025: 1/ From Tools to Trust ↳ Technology doesn't transform workplaces. People Do. ↳ Start with psychological safety and clear communication. ↳ Build trust before introducing new tools. 2/ From Training to Translation ↳ Stop teaching "how to use tools." ↳ Start showing "how tools improve lives." ↳ Connect every change to personal growth. 3/ From Metrics to Meaning ↳ Move beyond efficiency metrics. ↳ Measure impact on well-being and job satisfaction. ↳ Track how transformation enables better work-life integration. 4/ From Control to Collaboration ↳ Replace top-down mandates with team-led initiatives. ↳ Create innovation councils across departments. ↳ Let solutions emerge from front-line expertise. 5/ From Speed to Sustainability ↳ Stop rushing digital adoption. ↳ Build systems that support long-term resilience. ↳ Focus on sustainable change management. 6/ From ROI to Human Impact ↳ Expand success metrics beyond financial returns. ↳ Measure employee engagement and retention. ↳ Track improvements in work-life quality. 7/ From Digital to Hybrid Excellence ↳ Balance automation with human judgment. ↳ Preserve meaningful human interactions. ↳ Create frameworks where technology amplifies humanity. Real transformation isn't about adopting new technology. It's about enabling people to do their best work. In healthcare, I've seen both sides: - Teams that resist change because they don't see the "why" - Teams that embrace change because they shape the "how" The difference? Leadership that prioritizes people over processes. ♻️ Share if this resonates ➕ Follow Dr. Elise Victor for more.

Just published the second edition of my newsletter "Superpowers of Transformation" where I explore a truth I've learned over decades of leading global enterprise transformations: while technology enables change, people power transformation. Drawing from a multi-year global transformation journey, I share how focusing on the human architecture of change turned uncertainty into understanding, and resistance into readiness. Three key insights that emerged: 1. Psychological safety is the bedrock of successful transformation 2. Clear purpose drives sustained momentum 3. Cultural reinforcement makes change stick Special thanks to Dr. Amy Valente for her invaluable insights on organizational effectiveness and employee readiness. As she notes, "embedding change until it becomes the new way of working" is crucial for transformation success. In today's ‘VUCA’ world, where AI and automation reshape our landscape daily, the human element becomes more important, not less. While technology saves time, it's people who determine how to invest that saved time into meaningful change. Read more about building human-centered transformation and creating "adaptive resilience" in the full newsletter. What's your experience with the human side of transformation? #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #ChangeManagement #Innovation #Argano

🧠 Here's what a lot of leaders misunderstand about successful change. To overcome resistance, you've got to address stress. Research shows that when employees feel overwhelmed during organizational change, resistance naturally follows. The secret to smoother transitions lies in recognizing what your team needs at each phase. This infographic breaks down the four stages of change and shows exactly how to support your people through each one: ➡️ When first announcing change, provide reassurance and address rumors ➡️ During planning, offer context and acknowledge emotional responses ➡️ While implementing, maintain balance in your messaging and truly listen ➡️ After completion, recognize contributions to build confidence for future changes Effective change management isn't about pushing harder. It's about understanding deeper. What strategies have worked in your organization? 👇 📌📌📌Get 50+ of my best, brain-based resources for FREE & subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gsvzggqJ ____________________________ ♻️ Like and share this post #leadershipdevelopment #changemanagement #stressmanagement #organizationalpsychology #neurocoachinggroup

People Are the Project Not the timeline. Not the budget. Not the tools. The people. You can have perfect Gantt charts. Crystal clear risk logs. All the right frameworks. But your project is already in trouble if your team doesn’t feel seen, supported, and trusted. I’ve watched struggling projects turn around just by fixing the culture. And I’ve watched flawless plans fail because the people were burned out, ignored, or micromanaged. Project management isn’t just about delivering work. It’s about empowering people to do their best work. If you’re not leading with empathy, you’re not leading at all. Agree?

If you’re seeing resistance, it might not be your people—it might be your approach. You can’t fix transformation fatigue with a whiteboard announcement. When teams “resist,” it’s rarely because they don’t want to change… It’s because they don’t feel safe, prepared, or included in it. The real problem isn’t resistance. It’s: 🔸 Confusion instead of clarity 🔸 Disruption without direction 🔸 Decisions made without the people expected to follow them People don’t resist change. They resist being blamed for outcomes they were never equipped to own. If we want change to stick, we can’t just tell people what’s changing. We have to show them how we’re preparing to walk with them through it. 📌 So before writing a message like the one on that whiteboard, ask yourself: Have I created the clarity, capacity, and trust they need to move forward? 👉 It’s time to lead readiness, not just announce change. #ChangeManagement #Leadership #ChangeReadiness #OrganizationalTransformation #LeadingChangeThatSticks #EmployeeEngagement #CommunicationMatters

Project management is no longer just about the project. I had a great conversation this week with a fellow project management leader and enthusiast, and we kept coming back to one point: Strong project management today is far more about people than process. Sure, timelines, scope, and status reports matter—but those things don’t get you to the finish line on their own. What actually moves projects forward? ▪️ Building trust across teams ▪️ Managing change and uncertainty with empathy ▪️ Navigating competing priorities and personalities ▪️ Communicating clearly, consistently, and often ▪️ Leading with influence—not authority I’ve seen seasoned PMs with deep technical expertise struggle to deliver when they don’t invest in people management. And I’ve seen rising PMs without decades of experience deliver incredible outcomes—because they know how to read the room, build relationships, and bring people with them. The truth is: no project succeeds without the people behind it. #ProjectManagement #Leadership #PeopleFirst #PMO #ChangeLeadership #SoftSkillsMatter

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥—it's a necessity. Yet, a staggering 𝟖𝟒% of companies stumble on this journey. How can we turn the tide? The answer lies in effective change management. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝟏. 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 • Clearly articulate the benefits of digital transformation • Align the vision with organizational goals and individual roles 𝟐. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 • Encourage innovation and continuous learning • Organizations with strong change management cultures are 𝟐.𝟓 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 more likely to outperform peers financially 𝟑. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • Involve employees in early planning stages • 𝟕𝟓% of change initiatives succeed when employees are included from the start 𝟒. 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • Provide comprehensive training before and after implementation • 𝟔𝟒% of organizations made significant to moderate investments in learning and development in 2022 𝟓. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • Regularly assess the effectiveness of digital initiatives • Be prepared to pivot strategies based on real-time feedback and results Successful digital transformation isn't just about adopting new technologies—it's about guiding your people through the change. By implementing these strategies, you're not just managing change; you're cultivating a culture of adaptability and innovation. 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: https://lnkd.in/g9CUy9ik https://lnkd.in/g7eU5vm5 #AI #DigitalTransformation #GenerativeAI #GenAI #Innovation  #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #ThoughtLeadership #NiteshRastogiInsights  ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • Please 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞, 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 https://lnkd.in/gcy76JgE

🚨 Unpopular opinion alert 🚨 People don’t fear change—what they truly fear is the uncertainty that comes with it! In working with leaders driving transformation, one pattern stands out: resistance to change is rarely about the change itself. It’s about the ambiguity, the gaps in information, and the unknowns that cause hesitation. Leaders often misread this as reluctance, but it’s a natural response to feeling left in the dark. Clear, transparent communication can remove much of that fear. When leaders take the time to share not just the 'what' but the 'why' and 'how,' they shift the focus from uncertainty to possibility. Suddenly, the conversation moves from "what the heck is happening?" to "I see how I fit into this strategy". It also moves us from resistance to commitment, and people begin to embrace change as something they understand and can influence. At the core of successful leadership is building trust through clarity. It’s not about having every answer upfront, but about creating a vision and a path that people can believe in. As we’ve seen time and again, the more transparent and human the process, the stronger the commitment. For leaders navigating today’s complex environment, this approach is not just helpful—it’s transformative. #ChangeManagement #Leadership #Trust #Resistance #OrganizationalEffectiveness #Strategy #KeysToCommitment