If you’re frustrated that change efforts in your organization are taking too long, are too difficult, or are too often ineffective, this book is for you. Leading change expert Jake Jacobs shares eight failsafe ways to make any change initiative successful in his latest book, Leverage Change: 8 Ways to Achieve Faster, Easier, Better Results.

Jacobs explains that leverage is about getting more done with fewer hassles, headaches, and problems. It is important to leverage change instead of just managing it. He defines the eight levers as:

• Pay Attention to Continuity—Don’t focus solely on the change; remind people what will stay the same so they have something to build on.
• Think and Act as if the Future Were Now—Make a plan but don’t get stuck in the planning phase. Move to implementation quickly.
• Design it Yourself—Don’t rely on what worked for another company; chart your own course of action to meet your unique challenges.
• Create a Common Database—Share information widely so people at all levels have enough data to make wise decisions that will positively impact change.
• Start with Impact, Follow the Energy—Start your work where you will have the biggest positive impact, then share that success to build energy for the entire initiative.
• Develop a Future People Want to Call Their Own—Make sure every individual, team, and department understands specifically what the change means to them so they can be committed to the change.
• Find Opportunities for People to Make a Meaningful Difference—Encourage people to look beyond what has always been done in the past to explore new, different, and better ways to get the job done.
• Make Change Work Part of Daily Work—Change is constant, so don’t think of it as something to do in addition to your job. Make it part of the daily routine.

Jacobs explains how to apply each of these levers and includes a list of success criteria to consider as well. The book includes 44 case studies to show how companies put these levers into action. It’s truly a guidebook for making change an easier process for everyone.

For more information about Jake Jacobs, visit www.jakejacobsconsulting.com

To hear host Chad Gordon interview Jake Jacobs, listen to the Leaderchat podcast and subscribe today.

Dear Madeleine,

I am a manager of a large team. I like my work, the mission of the company is meaningful, and we make a difference in the world. I have a reputation for being a good manager and getting things done on time and under budget. My boss, who is fairly new—and, frankly, in over his head—is constantly coming to me with new projects and never seems interested in the projects we are already working on. He says he trusts me to get it all done.

My problem is that the strategic direction and priorities are constantly shifting and I can’t keep up. I can’t possibly get it all done, and my team is maxed out. I am becoming demoralized by not really understanding the point of what we are being asked to do. I know I need to talk to my manager, but I don’t want to come off as a whiner. How to proceed?

Shifting Winds

Dear Shifting Winds,

This must be so frustrating. It sounds like you do need to talk to your manager and get some clarity on what to focus on and the timelines for each item. You appear to have a low opinion of your new manager’s capabilities—and you may be right about him—but you also don’t know what he is up against. Until you actually know what is going on, I’d suggest to start off by assuming the best of intentions.

In any case, definitely get a meeting on the calendar and set the context carefully. Make it clear to your manager that you appreciate his trust; however, there is more work here than can be done and you need direction in prioritizing the projects. Tell him that to set priorities you normally use your knowledge of the strategic focus for the company—but lately you have been confused about what that is and you need his help.

To communicate with your boss as effectively as possible, first you need to assess his style. Which do you think would work best: Charts outlining all of the different projects on a big whiteboard? An excel spreadsheet with all of the project plans? A presentation with a little bit of story? Your manager needs a quick and easy way to grasp all of the assignments you are working on and how many hours are needed to complete each project. That will help him see how overworked your team is and will help you make the case for getting another person on board to ensure you can complete everything.

Having each project visually represented might also make it easier for you to see the point of each one—but even if it doesn’t, it will make it easier to talk to your boss. You can explain that your people get inspired when they understand the reason they are working away at something. Most people—especially millennials, research is showing—want to know the context and meaning for their tasks.

Next, rehearse, prepare, and be succinct. You won’t be perceived as a whiner unless you actually whine.

You are going to have to stand up for yourself and your people at some point. Many managers are so overwhelmed themselves that they will just keep throwing work at their people until someone cries uncle. He may be waiting for you to do just that.

Good luck.

Love, Madeleine

About the author

Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.

Got a question for Madeleine? Email Madeleine and look for your response here next week!

In his book, Leading at a Higher Level, Blanchard recommends that leaders have specific goals in each of the following four areas:

1. A focus on three bottom lines instead of just one. In addition to financial success, leaders at great organizations measure the satisfaction and engagement levels of their employees and their customers also. Leaders at these companies know that in order to succeed they must create a motivating environment for employees, which results in better customer service, which leads to higher profits.

2. A focus on customers. To keep your customers today, you can’t be content just to satisfy them. Instead, you have to create raving fans–customers who are so excited about the way you treat them that they want to tell others. Companies that create this emotional connection with their customers enjoy the accelerated growth generated when customers brag about them to other prospective clients.

3. A focus on employees. You can’t treat your people poorly and expect them to treat your customers well. Treating your people right includes setting clear, meaningful goals, providing day-to-day coaching, and finally, setting up performance reviews so that there are no surprises.

4. A willingness to turn the organizational chart upside down. The most effective leaders recognize that leadership is not about them and that they are only as good as the people they lead. In successful organizations, once a vision has been set, leaders move themselves to the bottom of the hierarchy, supporting and removing roadblocks for the people closest to the customer.

If leaders take care of the people who take care of their customers, profits and financial strength will follow. Make 2011 your best year ever by implementing a strategic plan where people and profits both grow and thrive.