Skills Needed for Managing Change

An interesting article in the May 2007 issue of HR Magazine "To Make Changes Manage Them" by Nancy Hatch Woodward profiled the skills necessary for successful change management. "Managing change is a way of thinking, and there are some people it just comes naturally to. When you find those people, you grab them and use them," according to Donna Curry, recruitment program manager at TVA. " Probably the most important trait that managers need is good communication skills, but they also should be proficient at coaching and team building, empathizing, and developing an ownership mentality among employees. These capabilities help managers work with employees to overcome resistance to change and find ways to embrace it," explains Woodward. These are skills and capabilities that can be developed in and out of the paid workplace!

To learn more, check out shrm.org and join the Society of HR Management.