All teams have three participants: change agents, change neutrals and change resistors. The key to leading change is empowering the change agents, influencing the change equivocators and helping the change resistors understand the WIIFM (what’s in it for me). Here are the critical steps to leading change.

First identify who fits into these categories because your strategy for communicating and implementing change will vary by group.

Second begin with the change agents. With this group, clearly identify the purpose, goals, milestones and timelines, your expectations for them and to create excitement for how this change will benefit the team, the company, the customers and the employees.

Starting with this group, regardless of how many or few, is critical. They will evangelize and inspire excitement but also will provide the important counter-balance to the naysayers and the equivocators.

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