How often do you just want to ‘get it done’? With multiple priorities and daily pressures, leaders often task one team to drive a transformational initiative.
But what would happen if you engaged cross-functional teams at the start to share their ideas, ask questions, and contribute to the end goal? You may experience a slower start, and you will certainly get more questions early on, but you will get a better outcome with engagement and commitment to the new way of working.
Here are 4 brain-based results when you engage your cross-functional team in your transformational initiative:
1. Build trust - The simple act of being asked to share your challenges, ideas and wishes invoke the hormone in our brain that creates a feeling of inclusion and respect. Being heard and engaged creates trust which is needed to move through the change journey.
2. Reduce resistance – Resistance is what gets in the way of adopting the future state. By reaching out, other team members will see the change as less of a threat and will therefore not feel fear that would invoke them to fight against the change. (Hint: This state also improves decision making as team members are focused on the future state and not fighting to keep the current state.)
3. Increase engagement - Now more than ever, employee engagement is critical. Help your team feel valued by reaching out to engage them in the change. Their brains will release the ‘reward’ hormone dopamine as they contribute to the transformational initiative. They will crave even more engagement.
4. Increase collaboration and commitment - When other teams are engaged, they experience empathy and understanding that helps them want what their colleagues are trying to achieve. This ‘mirroring’ is powerful to achieving the future state. In addition, colleagues experience a social ‘one team’ connection as social ‘circuits’ in the brain ignite.
Have I convinced you? … The simple act of engaging others across your team early on and often creates the energy you need to not only achieve your transformational initiative but break down those solos that have prevented successful change in the past.
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