Becca Apfelstadt is co-founder and CEO of treetree, a marketing agency in Columbus, Ohio, that provides creative firepower for B2B giants.
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I was born an entrepreneur with all the classic flaws: I walk fast, talk fast and I’m always brimming with ideas. I get impatient when the world doesn’t move as quickly as I’d like. In short, I’m addicted to “jet fuel.” If you’re an entrepreneur, I bet you can relate. And I bet your team is exhausted by it.
At the end of 2018, I realized my creative agency was undergoing massive change. We had grown and grown, but our processes and systems hadn’t caught up. It was wearing on my team, culture and collective spirit. I was going to have to slow down — maybe way down.
Fresh off a personal 360-review, I knew the brutal truth: My tendency to burst onto the scene with a request that needed to move lightning fast was not the answer. Jet fuel was not going to be the elixir for this ail.
I realized that it wasn’t my changes that were the problem, it was how I failed to manage the transitions. I wasn’t giving employees enough time to wrap their heads around my idea, let alone to process what it meant for them. Plus, they were likely still trying to implement the last curveball I threw at them, and here I was stepping back on the mound.
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So, if you need to put down the jet fuel and pick up new tools for your change management toolbox, here’s what I recommend:
• Confront the facts. Be honest with yourself so you can work on the right problems instead of changing just for change’s sake. Then, be realistic. Is this the right time for your organization to tackle this? Will it ever be?
• Spend time developing the story. If you help your team understand the problem, the solution will be more welcomed. If they don’t know there’s a problem in the first place, it can cause defensiveness. Stories — including the internal narratives we tell ourselves — stick. What story do you want your employees to believe when you introduce major change?
• Circle your wagons. I’ve learned to have a healthy respect for the planning and operationalizing that my leadership team brings to the table. Do not rush yours through that process. It’s valuable to surround yourself with different personalities because they can raise points that others in your organization will also need to know before they can embrace the new picture.
• Communicate far and wide. Communicating the simple fact that you’re in a time of transition is essential. Everyone can feel it when change is brewing, even when you can’t put your finger on what it is. Make sure all parties communicating the message use the same language and answer questions with the same tone. Nothing kills momentum like three managers answering one question three different ways.
• Then, communicate some more. Remember, your team needs time to mentally process letting go of what was before they can climb onto the bandwagon with you. What tactics can you develop to help everyone see the vision that you’ve already had time to grab ahold of? Can you create an internal awareness or rally campaign complete with desk drops, giveaways and temporary environmental graphics? Is your latest change worthy of a company experience, like a free Food Truck Friday?
• Welcome feedback. Because putting down the jet fuel gave others more headspace, incredible ideas that solved meaningful problems started flowing from the organization. For example, we were able to transition from in-office work on a Thursday to totally remote by 9 a.m. Friday only because of smart recommendations from the team. Do you have a regular feedback method, whether it be a monthly town hall or anonymous chatbot?
• Do everything you promised. If not, you’ll lose trust and the next time you have an issue that needs to be solved, the team won’t trust your gauge on it. Nor will they be as willing to ask, “How high?” if you suddenly ask them to jump again.
• Remember to celebrate. As the leader, you might already be on to the next challenge, but it’s important to stop and celebrate the road you all navigated together. It could be as simple as a champagne toast or as elaborate as a “We rocked this initiative” festival complete with a band lineup and concert swag. The point is to show your gratitude.
I still have ideas. I still get told from time to time to watch my “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.” But I have a deep appreciation for how to honor my team when it comes time to execute the good ones.
As the country reopens and we get back into our office, I know the jet fuel will be calling. My team, your team — they’ve been through so much in the past 18 months. It might be better to take a breath and cool our jets for a while.
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
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Author: Becca Apfelstadt, Forbes Councils Member
