OWP liVe REPORT

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It’s the job of leaders to convince employees that they can also achieve change. “With this framework, I hope you become someone who has more empathy – including for yourself — and have a little more compassion,” concludes Weeks. “You are not resistant to change because you’re a weak person; it’s because you have other commitments,” he adds. “You have to challenge those assumptions and free yourself from them. Or if those assumptions are true, there is some work you need to do before you attempt to make a change.”

Test your assumptions

Weeks then encouraged participants to test if these fears had any validity. If there is none, the mere process of unearthing them, rationalizing the worries, can help leaders to debunk them and make a positive change. “If we let those fears hold us hostage, and stop us from empowering, then we are somehow believing them, even if — rationally — we don’t agree with them,” Weeks says. “So we need to subject them to the light of day, and some evidence.” If the fears do have validity, leaders should do the risk-analysis to see if the change is still worth it. Empowerment can, for instance, yield benefits including higher employee engagement, better talent attraction and retention. “Maybe the fear is valid, but you need to take the risk. It’s the cost of doing business,” Weeks says. "If we let those fears hold us hostage, and stop us from empowering, then we are somehow believing them, even if — rationally —we don’t agree with them."

JOHN WEEKS