Often I’ve seen business owners and senior managers unwittingly distance themselves from the people who they are charged with leading through not involving their constituents/ stakeholders in decisions that impact them. This “change through imposition” style of management nearly always proves to be ineffective, and nearly always breeds disharmony and distrust when utilised.
As a leader, if you want to engender trust and respect among the people who you are leading then practice a management style which is underpinned by cultural principles such as: inclusivity, transparency and open communication. Especially where managing change into place is concerned, I strongly suggest that leaders practice consulting those who will be affected by the given change before any decision to proceed in the direction of the proposed change is made – and invite/ encourage the honest opinions/ suggestions/ thoughts/ feelings of these stakeholders with open arms.
Remember, no one likes being “blind-sided” by unforeseen change, and certainly everyone I know would far prefer to be a part of the change process versus have change imposed upon them. I discuss this fact in my first book in some depth.
So if you want to engender a work place environment which is underpinned by trust and respect, and where the leaders are committed to “bringing stakeholders on the chosen journey with them” then start opening-up to these stakeholders now – invite and encourage their input into relevant decisions that affect the greater organisation. You will be amazed to see what arises from such a leadership approach. Most people I know are well and truly over (sick and tired of) legacy-seeking individuals – we’re more interested in having people at the helm in organisations who are able to open themselves up to input from others…people who are prepared to put their cards on the table and who are encouraging of others doing the same.