We’ve worked with a lot of teams, leading people through change. Sometimes change is; a new strategy, a restructure, implementing new technology or a change in leadership.
Sometimes it’s a new strategy, a restructure, new technology or a change in leadership.
One thing we’ve noticed is that leaders can spend an enormous amount of time getting the change itself right: the plan, the communication, the timelines, the systems.
But then the change lands…..
And suddenly, the people in the room are responding to it in completely different ways.
One wants to know all the detail. Another is asking, “So, what are we doing?” Someone else wants to talk about how everyone is feeling, while another person is already excited about what this could make possible.
Who’s right?
Well, perhaps they all are.
They’re just looking at the change through different lenses.
Start with yourself
When we’re leading people through change, it’s very easy to focus on how everyone else is responding.
- Why are they asking so many questions?
- Why aren’t they getting on with it?
- Why are they making such a fuss?
But one of the questions we often encourage leaders to ask themselves is:
How do I naturally respond when things change?
That’s where we find Insights Discovery particularly useful.
The four colour energies give us a simple language for recognising our own preferences, as well as appreciating that other people may approach the same situation very differently.
Some of us naturally want the facts and the detail.
Some want to get moving and see progress.
Some immediately see the possibilities.
And some are thinking about the people involved and what the change means for the team.
None of these responses is wrong.
The challenge comes when we assume everyone needs what we need.
What does your team need from you?
If someone has a strong Cool Blue preference, they may need clarity. What exactly is changing? Why? What are the risks? Give people time to understand the detail and don’t rush their questions.
If someone leans towards Fiery Red, they may need ownership and momentum. What’s the goal? What can I do? When can we get started? Give them something meaningful to own and help create momentum.
Sunshine Yellow may need the bigger picture. What could this change make possible? Where are we going? How can we get people excited about it? Share the bigger picture and give space for ideas and enthusiasm.
And Earth Green may need something different again: time, reassurance and the opportunity to understand what the change means for people.
This doesn’t mean we can put people into four boxes and predict exactly how they’ll behave.
We can’t.
But it gives us something much more useful: a reason to be curious.
Don’t mistake difference for resistance
This is probably one of the biggest shifts we can make as leaders.
Someone asking lots of questions isn’t necessarily resistant.
Someone wanting to move quickly isn’t necessarily insensitive.
Someone who is enthusiastic about the future isn’t necessarily ignoring the practicalities.
And someone who is quiet isn’t necessarily disengaged.
They might simply be responding to the change in the way that makes most sense to them.
In our September Keeping Insights Alive session, Navigating Change, we explored exactly this idea. We asked teams to look at their own natural responses to change and, importantly, consider where those responses might become a blind spot.
Because our strengths can become our limitations when we overuse them.
A leader who is brilliant at creating momentum can move too quickly.
A leader who values accuracy can wait too long for certainty.
A leader who creates energy and excitement can overlook the detail.
And a leader who cares deeply about people can sometimes prioritize harmony over progress.
Self-awareness gives us a choice.
We can notice our instinct and then decide whether it is actually what the situation needs.
Bringing people with you
For us, this is where Insights becomes much more than a profile.
It becomes a shared language.
Instead of thinking, “Why are they being so difficult?”, we can start asking, “What might they need from me right now?”
That is a very different conversation.
And it doesn’t mean changing who we are as leaders. It means becoming more flexible.
Sometimes we need to be more Blue and slow down to understand the detail.
Sometimes we need more Red and create momentum.
Sometimes we need Yellow to help people see the possibility.
And sometimes we need Green to stop, listen and make sure people are with us.
The September KIA session summed it up nicely for us: successful change begins and ends with people.
That feels increasingly relevant.
At Performance Catalyst, we’re navigating change ourselves. As the business grows, our systems evolve and the world around us changes, we have to keep adapting too. We’ve described it recently as moving from operating on a chess board to a squash court.
You can’t anticipate every move.
You have to stay adaptable.
And you certainly can’t do it alone.
For us, that’s what Keeping Insights Alive is really about.
Not remembering which colour you are.
Not having a profile sitting in a drawer.
But having a language that helps you understand yourself, understand the people around you and make a better choice about how you show up when it matters.
Especially when things change.
Want help leading people through change more effectively?
Performance Catalyst can help you use Insights Discovery as a practical language for understanding different responses to change and bringing people with you.
Find out more about Insights Discovery at Performance Catalyst →
Interested in getting your own Insights colour profile? You can access it directly here →