I’ve been thinking a lot about connection and change. Connection is how we relate to others—whether that's people, places, things, or ideas. When you're helping people through change, ask yourself: "What matters to them and why?"

 

More specifically, think about: "What aspects of this change might they feel connected to? What does that connection mean to them personally?"

 

Remember, you might not know the answers! 😀 So create opportunities for people to discover these connections themselves. Ask thoughtful questions and trust that people can figure out what matters to them.

 

When people don't understand how a change relates to them personally, they often disengage. They don't see the point in investing time or energy.

 

As a leader, your job isn't to tell people what should matter to them. Instead, create space for people to discover and identify their own connections to the change. Then help make those different connections visible to the whole group. This shifts people from thinking as individuals to thinking as a team.

 

Without connection, people are less invested. They're more likely to leave the team, abandon the work, or dismiss new ideas. Connection reminds us we're not alone and helps change happen in a more meaningful way.

 

What might be one thing you can do this week to build in a collective pause for people to think about connection?