The Dynamic Nature of Teams

Handling the human and tactical side of org change

When most of us think about organizational change, we think of big stuff like reorgs. But companies are constantly shifting as people leave, as new ones enter. As markets shift, as new opportunities emerge. Endings and beginnings are plentiful in companies. That’s because organizations aren’t static museum pieces — they’re complex, dynamic organisms. Like all organic living things, change is constant.

This dynamic means leaders need to know how to adapt to and even anticipate change. One of the most obvious ways change happens is through teams. Many of the books on this subject focus on how to move the pieces around. There are many helpful techniques in these books. Too often though, we forget that while these moves may be necessary, they can also be disruptive and unsettling to the team. We have to help humans make the transition too.

A fantastic book that covers both tactical approaches to reteaming and the human side of change is Dynamic Reteaming by Heidi Helfand. I had the incredible fortune of speaking with Heidi about her book for LeadDev’s Bookmarked series. We talked about how leaders might approach five patterns of reteaming, the complexity of change, and how to mark transitions. Heidi also offered many actionable tips. If you’re involved in any sort of leadership, I highly recommend her book.

If you want to get a preview of the book, our conversation is below.

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