Leigh Ann Arnholt, CTIE
When I began this course, I had no idea how much it would directly help me to understand what I was going through with my own company and team. We were amid a large transition in the company and this course allowed me to look at the inside struggles that were happening with me and my team. The entire chapter on ‘Coping with Change’ helped me greatly going forward and finalizing the changes that needed to be made in my business and with my employees.
When I began my business over eleven years ago it was just myself. I spread my wings and brought on a few independent contractors. This went very well for many years. My husband took a new job and we move the home office to a new location. The first few years I worked from home and was able to do everything I needed, but again we grew. 2016 was a banner year and realized that we needed to make some changes. I was advised by my accountant that I should consider moving to an outside office location and start transitioning everyone to employees. Deep in my heart this was an answer to prayer, but little did I know the change would help me grow into the business woman and leader that I am today.
I began to look for a new office location. I included those team members in the final options, as I wanted their input and I wanted them to feel like they were part of the decision and change. I did not realize it at the time, but this was also a point under the ‘Effective Team Members’ section. When engaging team members to help in making decisions it helps them see the change as it is happening. I found those that joined me in the decision of the location also were hesitant in this change, but this activity helped them get through it.
There was excitement for the changes, but I began to see some fear in a few of them. I scheduled a team meeting and discussed the need for the changes with the company. Due to income and tax issues we felt that this move made the most sense. I also announced the change from independent contractors to employees. I advised them that they would see the changes in the next three months.
Over this transition period I took a hard look at what each independent contractor had brought into the company, total commission and their split for the last two to three years. I based their new pay on their past performance and offered each of them an hourly rate, that would equal their past revenue performance. I advised them on the advantage of being an employee over an independent contractor. I also communicated the changes I would like to see in sales minimums and expectations in the new office.
One of the items that helped during this transition was communication. It was important to me that everyone understood why the changes where happening and how it affected them. In the section of the CTIE training under ‘Coping with Change: Change for Managers’, I used the communication plan. Keeping them updated, explaining the changes, why we are changing, giving them a timeline, and asking for their input.
After I announced these changes, I personally met with each independent contractor. I went over everything with them again. I answered any questions or concerns that they may have This was one of the key communication points in the training. I found that after I gave the information, I would give them a few days and then I would follow up with more thoughts and address any more concerns that they may have had. This process worked very well in dealing with the concerns that the team had.
As things started to settle with the team, I had three distinct responses from them. They all fell into the exact behaviors that I studied in the class. I had some that were excited, some hesitant, and some resistant.
One independent contractor embraced all the changes. She is still one of my big risk-takers in the company. She knew what was happening and was excited to be part of the process. I had her encourage and talk with those that were hesitant if I could not address it. She became one of the cheerleaders for this change. She was the trailblazer during this time and she helped me stay strong at times too, because she saw the vision clearly.
I had two independent contractors that were hesitant with the change. They knew that I would be able to expect more from them as employees. They were worried that they would not be able to fulfill that role and we talked about what we could do to help them in this transition. We laid out a plan to help them build their revenue with the new marketing avenues at the new location. One of them decided to pursue her love of photography and her new business is flourishing. I am very happy for her and have used her for many of the business photos. The other worked for a period, and then she took another job as it was a wonderful opportunity for her.
I had another independent contractor that was very unhappy with the change. She wanted to stay an independent contractor. I worked hard to try and make her see that she would still be making the same income and more if she would show me, she could put more into her business. She did not want to be directed as to when she was expected to work. She could not grasp the income change and how I would be basing her pay on her performance. Ultimately, she was so resistant to the forward motion that the company was taking, and she decided to leave the company. I had problems with her attitude in the past and this change allowed me to see it on full display. It became very evident to me that she was not someone that I wanted on my team. She would have brought others down and stalled the excitement of the changes. This was clearly laid out under the ‘Change Behaviors’ section in the training.
One other aspect that I did not realize we were doing until the CTIE training brought it to my attention where the phases of change. Under the section ‘Coping with Change: Change Phases’, it describes three phases-End, Transition, and New Beginning. Through our individual meetings and communicating with the team, I saw the end of a phase of our company and how individuals were dealing with the end of this portion of time. While talking through this phase we looked at all the great accomplishments we had made to this point. Once the official changes were in place, we had some adjustments to get used to. For instance, clocking in and out was a big adjustment and it took time to remember this new habit. I could tell they would get frustrated at times, but it was an easy fix and we adjusted. Once they began getting regular paychecks, they also felt the positive income in the change. After a few months, the team began to see the phone ringing daily, clients walking in the door regularly, and an increase in business. This new beginning was official, and the team is completely understanding now of why the change was a great move for everyone.
ll these experiences were a tremendous growing experience. I was able to clearly lay out a plan for this change and why we needed this change. I stood firm and was able to have conversations with each person and gave them time to digest the change. I did not want the change to be an immediate transition. This is something that I wanted them to understand was good for the overall company and in turn would be good for them as it allowed us to continue to grow. I was able to work through the excitement, the hesitation, and the resistance that different team members displayed through this time.
This also was a great time for me to look at our team members and how they dealt with change. The change brought out attitudes and behaviors that I knew were able to be addressed. It also showed me those that did not fit into our company culture and vision moving forward. Their rigidness to the change allowed me to clearly remove them from the team with no regrets. This was an incredibly large step for me as a leader. The culture of my company is a very important thing to me and change was allowing me to grow the right people on my team and allowing me to weed out those that did not have the right vision and passion for the company.
Lastly, in the section ‘Becoming a Great Leader’, I embraced the ‘6 E’s of Motivation’. I was doing some of these already but after I took this session, I wrote them a sticky note and kept them in my desk drawer for a reminder. I stressed the more regular income for them during this change. The Enrichment from this regular pay and more office time for training was one of the first things they all recognized as a large help for them. With the new office environment, the team quickly realized how much more Efficient they could be. They greatly reduced the distractions from home while completing bookings and research for clients. The hardest physical part of this change was the move in. The Effort in this was great but once everyone settled into their desk areas the transition was easy. One of the larger changes that they experienced was the new camaraderie in the office. Previously, they were at their home offices, on their own. This new space Ensured them a safe space to do their business, allowed for new leads to be addressed quickly, and became a great support system for everyone. The change in the environment also provided a sense of belonging to something bigger, and they could now see it. Their Ego’s were boosted once things changed and they saw they were part of something great. And the Enjoyment we have the office, whether it is working in a special place with a good culture or when have events with our clients has been a wonderful feeling.
Taking my CTIE courses during this portion of time was a great help to me. I was able to recognize the behaviors that were developing due to the changes that the company was making, and it allowed me to successfully deal with those concerns in a way that was better directed to that individual. Being able to recognize those behaviors and handle those through this transition made me a better leader and a stronger person. I was also able to clean house of those that did not fit our culture of “others first”. I have no regrets in that person not being part of the change, as this was not the best fit for her. I do believe that my employees now see that the change was for more than just me and my company, but rather for them. They understand that when the company grows it is good for them. Some are now in leadership positions of their own and starting to lead teams within the organization. This would not have happened if we did not change. When we now have new announcements and change, they can change with confidence. They can also help in explaining to their teams why the change is a good thing for the company. We may make bad decisions, have failures, and have successes but we now have a team that is part of a fantastic culture and they lean in and grow together when change occurs.
