Today’s managers and leaders are operating in an environment in which the pace of change is faster than ever before. The question is not if you’ll need to help people transition through change but when. And oftentimes change is so rapid and constant that, “When will we not be changing?” might be a more appropriate question.

In this week’s podcast we’re discussing why and how managers make a difference by overcommunicating about change and intentionally preparing for an unknowable future as we explore questions like:

Why are managers and leaders so much more ready to move forward than the people they lead are, and what’s the best way to close that gap?
What’s the role of empathy in communicating change?
Should managers encourage or discourage people from expressing their fears, doubts and concerns about change?
How can managers respond effectively to people’s questions when they don’t have all the answers?
When the future is unpredictable, what can managers and leaders do to optimize organizational resilience?
What kinds of people and cultural values help organizations be most prepared for an unknowable future?

We hope the ideas we’re discussing in this week’s show will help you navigate an unknowable future more effectively. We love hearing your questions and responses. Please feel free to share them in a comment or by connecting with one of us on LinkedIn (see links to our profiles below).

Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!

+ Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.

This post highlights Chapters 67 and 68 of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see their latest updates.