How to Create Meaningful Organizational Change [Podcast]
Major updates to your marketing strategy often necessitate organizational change. As creatures of habit, we tend to resist this kind of change, even if we support the good things it will bring. “The way we’ve always done things” is comfortable; shaking things up can be scary, even for healthy teams.
Expert marketers (and longtime collaborators) Jessica Jensen and Tuck Ross know this well. They’ve learned to spot the balance of skills that help a team thrive, build relationships that feel authentic rather than transactional, practice staying open to change, and more. It’s this internal work, they say, that determines how meaningful and long-lasting the organizational change will prove to be.
In this episode of the Conex Show podcast, you’ll hear practical advice for navigating change within your company, as well as case studies illustrating how various teams have embraced (or rejected) new ways of doing things. Jensen and Ross offer up advice for businesses of any size, including tips for listening, innovating, and adapting to organizational shake-ups.
In This Episode:
The Importance of “Soft Skills” in Building Healthy, Effective Teams
A lot of people can do a job, but how someone thinks, how they take risks, their flexibility, and adaptability will set them apart. How someone builds relationships is especially critical these days.
“If you need somebody to talk shop, robots will do that. But if you want a strong team, you have to develop that softer skill set.” – @tuckross
Tips for Introducing Change to an Organization That Isn’t Fully Ready For It
Ross shares the example of a business evolving from TV advertising to Facebook advertising. In his experience, the company he was with wasn’t quite ready for that change, and it took time to build a case and grow their digital ads budget.
“Change is constant, so building that into the ethos of the team is helpful. There’s no such thing as ‘business as usual.'” – @tuckross
How to Hire a Balanced Team
Jensen explains her focus on building relationships when coming into a workplace. When you build a rapport, people are typically more open to offering support. Having existing relationships can also breed great team input, which can be difficult to get if you haven’t yet broken that barrier.
“Build relationships in advance of needing help from somebody, or in advance of trying to sell something.” – @jessicakjensen