By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Change is in the air. Perhaps your organization is experiencing some. Following closely on the heels of change is the topic of collaboration, and as you well know just because a team is working well together before a change does not ensure that they will work together well after change. So as a leader there are a myriad of items to consider. The most important of which is this: “How do I best evoke positive change and encourage collaboration?” 

There are three core actions leaders can take to positively drive change and foster collaboration.

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Action #1: Share Expectations. Communicate clearly what you expect from your team and/or top performers. Be realistic and specific about what you expect. Also, be open to your team’s expectations of you. Be certain to use a positive tone of voice during these conversations and express confidence that the expectations will be realized. For more details about effectively sharing expectations check out our working agreement audio. 

Action #2: Create Buy-in. This is such an easy area to discuss, yet such a difficult one to master. Remember this: creating buy-in is more than communicating changes, expectations, or desired behavior. Your challenge as a leader is to position changes so that your team paraphrases your words in a manner that convinces you they understand and embrace your message. If they do not articulate your desired changes and express an interest in achieving them, trust me, you do not have buy-in.

Action #3: Lead by Example. Great leaders do what they say they are going to do. When the winds of change appear, they are in the front of the boat setting the sails. (Did I really just write that?) Anyway, great leaders feel a commitment to set a solid example. They also expect others to follow accordingly.  

Bottom Line: By focusing on these three core actions, leaders can positively effect change, and maintain or increase team collaboration. By setting a fine example, they also provide a focusing point for their people to follow.   

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

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