By Justin L Grunert, MSM

At a recent conference I attended, the speaker said, “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.”

Just thinking about change, you realize it is always around you. Summer turns into fall. Sunset occurs sooner during the day. Your personal life and professional life are no different. You start a new job, get a promotion, get a new boss, or move to a new city. How people handle change is what makes it easy or difficult.

When encountering change, people fall into one of three groups:

• Group one will love the idea and fully support it.
• Group two is not sure about change but they are willing to support it.
• Group three hates the idea of change; it’s a bad idea, and it will cause everything around them to come to an end.

When planning for change, organizations sometimes spend most time and effort on the third group. Understanding what concerns can hold up the change process or prevent change from occurring is where organization leaders can help. Leaders who support and drive change and help anticipate the objections can help share the new vision and start to shape the change in a positive light.

When your organization proposes a new process or new program, listen to the change proposal and approach it with an open mind. Change is not easy; it will cause disruption. A good plan will benefit you and your organization. Communicate your concerns, listen to concerns of others, and try to respond to concerns. You may be the agent who helps others deal with the change.

Justin L. Grunert, MSM, is IPMI’s LMS administrator and training coordinator.

By Jason M. Jones

The simple definition of micromanage is to “control every part, however small, of an enterprise or activity.”  Many administrators, including me, are guilty of this more often than we think even if we don’t mean to be this way. We want everything to be perfect but at what cost to the organization?

Getting involved in everyday details is not an effective or healthy way to manage. Sure, not everyone communicates information, policies, and procedures the way we would, but empowering people to make decisions on their own is much more positive in the long term. Having employees wonder if they are making the right or wrong decision doesn’t allow the employee, or organization as a whole, to flourish; rather, it creates stress and apprehension.

There are some basic things you can try:

• Empower your employees, which will lead to better engagement and a healthier workplace.
• Conduct staff meetings that are not agenda-based but open forums for discussion.
• Let employees make more decisions from the heart, not from the stated policy.

And especially during the holiday season, do not forget those less fortunate or in need and be mindful that employees have things going on in their personal lives. As administrators, we must avoid making the workplace even more challenging by micromanaging. Our lives are not shaped by power and prestige, but rather love, generosity, and kindness. Your management style can be a reflection of that.

Jason M. Jones is director, parking & mass transit services, at the University of Albany.