I just returned from the Kingdom of Bahrain where I was asked to deliver a keynote address on leading change at a conference that introduced the Smart Card to the country. While preparing my speech, I came to the conclusion that leading change is a very complex process. Although it is probably one of the more universal events around the world, many leaders simply do not know how to lead change. Yet every day our organizations are demanding faster changes such as improving time to market, faster cycle times, better bottom lines, more efficient staff, and projects completed on time and under budget (sound familiar?).

In my leadership training work, I not only talk about change, but my executive clients actually have an opportunity to experience change in the moment through several simulated interactive activities. Their conclusions from these exercises might be of interest to you, so allow me to share them.

First and foremost, most of my clients report that change cannot be "sold" per se. Rather they found themselves much more effective when they asked "What would it take from me [the leader] for you to accept this change?" When change was linked to a "hard sell" the best a change leader could expect was compliance. However, when those impacted by the change had a chance to submit their input, the change leaders were more likely to receive commitment.

Also many clients saw resistance to change in a new light. Rather than see it as aggressive, they saw it as a loss of some kind. For example, the bookkeeper who years ago did her figures by hand (and was praised for her hard work) now must use a computer and a spreadsheet software program. She was not resistant to try the computer, but she did experience the loss of doing things "the old way." When leaders see resistance as loss, they are likely to be more empathic to those effected by the change.

Thirdly, leaders slowly understand that leading change is a predictable process that involves four steps: (1) rejection, (2) denial, (3) experimentation, and (4) commitment.

The voice of rejection is focused on the change itself, i.e. "This change will never work." In this phase the leader must be patient, continuously explain the change, and be a more effective communicator.

The voice of denial is more personal, i.e. "I would never change in this way." In this phase the leader's strategy is to be more of a listener than a speaker. He must understand why this change is so personal and how it impacts his stakeholders.

In the experimentation stage, leaders need to listen and observe. Those impacted by the change are willing to take their first steps toward the change and the leader must watch, guide and listen to what his constituency is saying. Perhaps watching carefully might even lead to greater efficiencies and effectiveness.

Lastly, when people are ready to commit to a change, the leader's strategy is to simply get out of the way, and let the change occur.

All this is far easier to say than to do. Using this model requires the leader to know exactly where each person impacted by the change is on the curve. Also he must recognize the particular strategy required at each step.

But the experienced leader, skilled in leading change, knows where everyone is regarding the change, and acts accordingly. The unskilled leader is constantly selling the change - especially to those who may never get on board with the change. Research shows that leaders actually spend 80% of their time convincing the last 15-20% of those resisting the change to accept it. If their efforts were focused more on those accepting the change, the resistors would either eventually accept the change or leave the process (or company).

Also change is directly linked to emotions. One exercise I do with my clients involves four specific stages within a 45-minute time frame. When I debrief the activity at its conclusion, the diversity of emotions reported in each stage is almost overwhelming! I am asked "How can we be psychologists and understand each person's emotions while moving forward with the change?"

The answer is that leaders don't have to be familiar with the wide range of emotions when change happens, rather they do need to know that it is a more emotional experience than originally conceived and should be treated with greater care and understanding.

This bolsters my current thinking that leaders in the future will have to balance their intelligence quotient (IQ) with a stronger emotional intelligence (EI) in order to be more effective when it comes to change. They will require the so-called "softer skills" such as compassion, empathy, relationship-building, communication and systems thinking.

我剛從巴林回來，受邀在當地介紹智慧卡的研討會上發表一場關於"領導改變"的演說。在我準備演講的時候，我得到一個結論，就是領導改變是一種非常複雜的過程。雖然它或許是世界上眾多活動之一，但很多領導者完全不知道如何領導改變。我們的組織每天都要求更快速的變化，譬如縮短上市的時間，更短的循環週期，更好的底線，更有效率的員工，專案能夠如期、如預算地完成(覺得熟悉嗎？) 。

在我的領導訓練中，不僅談到變化，更讓我的管理階層客戶透過一些模擬互動式活動實際有機會體驗改變。您可能對由這些活動所獲得的結論感興趣，讓我在此與各位分享。

首先也是最主要的，大多數客戶都認為本質上很難直接推銷「改變」這個觀念。當他們問到：「我[領導者]需要提供何種協助才可以讓你接受這種變化？」時，他們反而可以較有效的推銷「改變」這個觀念。當你硬生生的推銷這個觀念時，作為一位變化的領導者所能期望的最好結果便是照章行事。然而，當那些被改變衝擊到的人有機會發表意見時，變化的領導者就很可能可以得到他們的承諾。

也有很多客戶重新看待抗拒改變的原因。與其把抗拒改變視為具侵略性，倒不如視為是某種失落感所造成的。舉例來說，多年以前，簿記員用雙手來計算數字(還因為辛苦工作而受到稱讚)，現在則必須使用電腦和會計軟體工作。她並不見得會抗拒使用電腦，但她的確感到一種不能再用老方法做事的失落。當領導者體認到這一點的時候，他們很可能對那些被變化影響的人較能感同身受。

第三，領導者逐漸瞭解到改變是一種可預測的過程，其中牽涉到四個步驟︰ (1)拒絕，(2)否定，(3)實驗，和(4)承諾。

拒絕的聲音集中在改變本身，即「改變是行不通的」。在這個階段，領導者必須要有耐心，持續的解釋為何要作改變，並扮演一個較有效率的溝通者。

否定的聲音是較個人化的，即「我絕不改變」。在這個階段，領導者的策略便是扮演一位傾聽者甚於發言者。他/她必須瞭解為什麼這種改變會讓他/她的利害關係人覺得是衝著他/她而來。

在實驗的階段，領導者必須傾聽及觀察。傾聽他/她的擁護者，就是那些被改變衝擊到還願意踏出第一步的人說話；同時觀察、指引他們。或許仔細的觀察可以產生更高的效率。

最後，當人們準備好要改變的時候，領導者的策略就是置身其外，讓改變發生。

說比做容易得多。領導者在使用這個模型的時候，需要確切的知道每個人被改變衝擊之處。他/她亦必須知道在每個階段所需要的策略。

但是有經驗且具有領導改變技巧的領導者，知道每個人需要在何處作改變，然後採取行動。而不具領導改變技巧的領導者則是不斷的灌輸要做改變的觀念 - 特別是針對那些從來無法跟得上變化腳步的人。研究結果顯示，事實上領導者花了80%的時間用來說服最抗拒改變的15-20%的人接受改變。如果他們的努力專注在那些接受改變的人身上，那麼這些抗拒者最終不是接受改變，就是離開這個改變的環境(或公司)。

改變亦直接與情緒有關。在我跟客戶共同做的一個45 分鐘的練習，包括前述的4 個具體的階段中發現：當我在聽取活動結論的報告時，在每個階段所顯示的情緒多樣化簡直令人震驚！他們都問道：「我們怎麼可能在進行改變的同時還要扮演著心理學家去瞭解每個人的情緒？」

答案是當改變發生時，領導者不需要熟悉廣泛的多樣化情緒，而是需要瞭解作改變是一種較情緒化的經驗而非最初設想的那樣，因此應該更小心處理。

這個結論讓我確定一件事，就是未來領導者必須設法在他們的IQ 與EI之間取得平衡，才能更有效的領導改變。他們需要所謂的「軟性技巧」，像是同情，同理心，關係建立，溝通以及系統性思考來幫助達成目標。