In an industry like change management where large organisations require great support to successfully adopt change within their systems, effective communication is crucial. As change managers, we need to know what the important tools are that will enable us to guide our clients towards successful change adoption. Today I am joined by the incredible Sharon Connolly, change management expert and force behind Change Superhero. Sharing a huge range of practical templates and online programs, Change Superhero is aimed at supporting change managers looking for a helping hand. Sharon shares how in her previous role at CBA, she had to quickly transition a large team to adapt to the changes that came with COVID-19. The infographics she created for this role quickly became in demand, and Sharon talks us through how she turned these practical tools into a business that successfully meets the needs of many change managers and their clients. Sharon explains the unexpected way she gained the skills she now uses every day to help her clients through deep, and sometimes painful, cultural change. We talk about the importance of written communication within organisations, and Sharon shares her tips on how it can be paired with visual tools to create effective materials to deliver information. Different situations require different tools, and being aware of each client’s unique needs is vital in creating true engagement. With a deep understanding of her stakeholders, Sharon is able to recognise where to spend her time and which angle will successfully drive change adoption for a specific organisation. I know that you will love the powerful lessons and insights that Sharon shares from her experiences, and I hope this episode gives you a new perspective on how to create powerful engagement whilst affecting change.Connect with Sharon:Website: https://www.changesuperhero.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/sharonconnolly Connect with me: Download 'Change Management Meets AI: How ChatGPT Can Make Your Life Easier' the ultimate guide for change managers here.Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

Working in the change management space can sometimes feel incredibly demanding and stressful. Within high pressure environments, the successful delivery of large or complex change initiatives relies on many different factors, many of which are out of your control. Change managers can also feel responsible for the change and spend a lot of energy helping stakeholders navigate big emotions through the change journey. These are just some of the reasons why I believe change managers are susceptible to burnout, which is what I’m talking about today. I believe that intentional energy management is the key to helping us protect ourselves from burnout. This is why I developed the Energy Management Toolkit, a practical step by step model to help you protect yourself from burnout and maximize your energy. In this episode I’m taking you through this model and how you can use it every single day in really practical ways to increase your ability to be productive and make better decisions. When you know how to manage your energy, it leads to better outcomes for the entire organisation, increased engagement and a much more positive work environment for everyone. I share the two principles that underpin this model and discuss the 6 layers that contribute to the energy pyramid. I go into detail about 2 of the layers and how each aspect of the model forms part of the ecosystem of your energy management and ultimately, your performance at work in the change management space. Effective personal energy management is essential for folks working in the organisational change management space. Being intentional about this will help you have the capacity to navigate the complexities and challenges of the role and maintain a positive work environment for yourself and the team that you're working with.Make sure you download my Energy Management Toolkit today to build out your personalised energy management plan. I’m convinced that energy management is the key to helping you avoid burnout this year and I know this tool is going to help you and your team immensely. Connect with me: Download my Energy Management Toolkit here!Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

One of the most critical stakeholders involved in every single organisational change is the corporate communication team. From personal experience, I understand how challenging it can be to work with the corporate communication team, but this doesn’t have to be a frustrating process. When you develop a solid and genuinely collaborative relationship with the corporate communication team, your change program will be a raging success. Today I’m sharing 5 ways to help you build stronger relationships with this important stakeholder. These are practical tips you can put in place to create a fun, productive partnership with the communication team. I talk about trusting the experts, being open to receiving feedback from the communication team and creating opportunities to actively collaborate and brainstorm with them. We also need to celebrate success together with the corporate communication team! When you work in this collaborative, respectful and mutually beneficial way, you are genuine teammates. I see a lot of change managers feeling frustrated, let down and like they’ve lost their voice when it comes to working with the corporate communication team. It can be incredibly challenging. So today I’m sharing 3 common mistakes I see change managers make which are a lack of clarity, micromanaging the experts and failing to collaborate. None of these things will lead to the success of your change program. Stay tuned to the end of the episode as I share my personal approach to building a strong, productive, working relationship with the corporate communication team from the get-go. I share my recommendation for exactly how to prepare for your first meeting with the corporate communication team to kick things off in the right way. This step-by-step approach always works!  There are so many benefits to working in collaboration with the corporate communication team and immeasurable ways they can support organisational change managers and change initiatives. Your communication campaign will be more effective, your key messages will be clear and consistent, stakeholders will be more engaged, and your change program will be a huge success. Connect with me: Download my step-by-step guides for strategic thinking here! Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

Strategic thinking allows you to take a step back and look at the big picture. It involves analysing and evaluating a situation in order to make informed decisions about the future. When you think strategically, you're thinking critically about the long-term implications of different options and developing a plan that takes those implications into account.So, why is it important for change managers?Well, when you're tasked with implementing major organisational changes, you need to be able to anticipate potential roadblocks and prepare for them in advance. You also need to be able to identify opportunities for improvement and develop plans to take advantage of them.Without strategic thinking, change managers may find it difficult to achieve their goals and meet the expectations of stakeholders. You might end up running into unexpected challenges or missing out on opportunities that could have been leveraged with a bit of foresight.In today’s episode, I'm gonna share how you can do strategic thinking in a really visible way as a change manager. Strategic thinking is a skill like any other - it can be practised and improved with focus and dedication. I’ll explore three really useful activities that you can start using today to incorporate more strategic thinking into your change management work. I’ll also go through the difference between a professional and an amateur that I frequently observe in the organisational change management space and the really interesting concept of second order thinking. We’ll look how you can improve your second ordering thinking through: Scenario planningRed teamingPre-mortem analysisI created 3 step-by-step guides for our in-house team of change managers, communication specialists, engagement leaders, and trainers for them to use when working with clients and I’m so excited to be sharing them with you today - download them here. Tune in to today’s episode to learn more about how you can use these activities to uncover brilliant insights, build engagement and trust, and improve your strategic thinking. Connect with me: Download my step-by-step guides for strategic thinking here! Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

Today I’m sharing 4 big trends that I think change managers need to be watching out for this year. As far as I’m concerned, these trends are non-negotiables and because they are relevant to every industry and all kinds of organisational change, you’ll want to be sure that you’re on the front foot. My goal with this episode is to share how these 4 trends are going to impact change management efforts this year, and to share a bunch of practical suggestions that you can incorporate into your change strategy and tactics. If you want to roll out a successful change program this year, listen in. I talk about the ongoing trend around remote work and digital transformation. Although remote work is no longer brand new to us all, I believe that we’re going to see a growing desire for connection amongst stakeholders this year. I share some considerations around ensuring that your stakeholders feel a true sense of connection to their organisation, colleagues and the change program.Another huge trend is around the topic of employee wellbeing. I talk about the fact that all industries are looking for ways to support the physical, mental, and emotional health of their employees and the importance of being proactive when it comes to addressing wellbeing concerns as part of your change management strategies.I also discuss the topic of artificial intelligence and why change managers need to be really familiar with these technologies, understanding their potential impacts on work processes, on stakeholders, and on the workforce at large. And stay tuned toward the end of this episode as I discuss an incredibly important topic that is becoming a critical business issue moving forward. It’s one you might not have thought about just yet!Throughout this episode, I share some questions to ask yourself to help you incorporate these trends into your change management strategies. I also share plenty of practical examples and strategies that you can implement into your program starting today. CONNECT WITH ME:Previous episode mentioned:How Change Managers Can Use ChatGPT To Make Life EasierArticle mentioned:8 in 10 Australians are concerned about climate change with a clear public expectation of Government actionFree download:Change Management Meets AI: How ChatGPT Can Make Your Life Easier https://everchange.ck.page/aiWebsite:            https://www.everchange.com.au/LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne