From the course: Managing Organizational Change for Managers

Engage your people to build ownership

From the course: Managing Organizational Change for Managers

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Engage your people to build ownership

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- We've all heard the phrase, people support what they help create. And while it's true, it's also been so overused that it risks becoming meaningless unless you are willing to really live it. Engaging your people in change isn't about sending a survey or holding a feedback session just to say you did it. It's about offering real influence, not the illusion of it. Let's talk about faux inclusion for a minute. I've coined that phrase years ago to describe something we've all seen, the pretense of involvement. That's when leaders invite input that's not going to shape anything. You've probably seen it or maybe even done it without realizing it. It's like saying, "We love your ideas", when in fact the decision was already made. Or saying, "Tell us what you think", when there's actually no way for that feedback to be used. Here's the thing, your people can tell. If the engagement is performative, not meaningful, you lose more than you gain. You burn trust. And the next time you actually need input, people won't bother. So what does authentic engagement look like? Well, first it starts with being honest about where people have influence and where they don't. You don't have to give away the farm, but you do have to be clear. You might say something like, The overall direction has been set, but there's still a lot we need to figure out, and that's where I need your voice." Next, engagement needs to be timely. If you ask for input too late in the process, people won't feel like co-creators. They'll feel like an afterthought. Bring them in early, not just to react, but to help shape. Frame it as partnership, not buy-in. And next, when people do share ideas, follow up. Tell them what you did with their input, even if you don't take their advice. You might say, "We didn't end up using your suggestion exactly as you proposed, but we did modify it a bit to fit new information and that helped us think differently about this challenge, and that was a real contribution." That kind of transparency builds ownership because people know they were heard. Also, look beyond the usual suspects. It's easy to turn to the same high performers or vocal team members, but true engagement means widening the circle. Who's got insight you haven't tapped yet? Who's closer to the customer or to the pain point than you are? Engagement isn't just about what you ask, it's also about how you listen. Do you leave space for disagreement? Do people feel safe enough to challenge the plan or do they default to smile and nod mode? Here's the paradox. When people are truly engaged in helping create change, they're more likely to own the outcome even if they don't get their way because they were part of the process, because they mattered. So don't fake it. Don't decorate your change plan with input. Build it with people. That's how change sticks.

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