Learning Corner: Leading Through Constant Change: The Change Map

Estimated Time to Complete: 25 minutes

Objective:
To give your team clarity during change by sorting what you know from what you don't, so people spend less energy guessing.

Materials Needed:

• A whiteboard or shared document

• One current change your team is facing

Activity Steps:

1. Draw three columns (2 minutes)
Label them: What is changing, What is staying the same, What we don't know yet.

2. Fill in what you know (8 minutes)
Write what you can share honestly. Leaders often skip the middle column, and it matters a lot. People need to hear what they can count on.

3. Be honest about the unknowns (5 minutes)
List open questions in the third column, and add when you expect to know more. It's fine to say "I don't know yet."

4. Walk the team through it (10 minutes)
Share the map in your next team meeting. Ask: What's missing? What worries you most? Add their questions to the map and promise a date to update it.

Key Takeaways:

• People handle change better when they know what stays steady.

• Naming unknowns builds more trust than guessing.

• Updating the map on a set date keeps rumors down.

Reflection Prompt:

Which column is hardest for you to fill in during a change, and why?

Want help bringing this to your team? Book a free 30-minute conversation with Tony.