By Jerry Newfarmer

We know that change in an organization is certain to occur. Leaders and staff members change, issues change, and tools and techniques for providing services change.

But change just for the sake of change is stupid. I once watched a leader taking over as the new city manager from outside the organization with a charge from the council to “shake things up.” The councilmembers wanted their government to change. The manager began by announcing to his department heads and all who would listen that he was a “change agent.”

To everyone inside the organization this meant he was setting out to change them, which was the effect of his message. It may have made him—and the council, initially—feel good, but you can imagine how it made city staffers feel about themselves.

Here are 10 basics to effectively lead useful change:

1  The starting point is respect. The good leader instinctively knows that his or her starting point, when taking the reins, has to be respect for the people, the organization, and the way work is done. The human beings who manage and operate local governments are there because they were selected and well trained to serve the public, and none of them sets out to perform badly. Everyone wants to be part of a successful, respected enterprise.

2  Good change is continuous. Enterprises that are able to be successful in sustaining quality performance over long periods of time are organizations that recognize and embrace continuous improvement, not one-off steps.

3  The carrot is better than the stick. Set a positive “can do” tone stressing continuous improvement as the change wanted throughout the fabric of the organization.

4  Demonstrate personal leadership. Celebrate successes to establish the expectation that continuous improvement is the goal.

5  Energize your staff training program or create an organizational development program.

6  Take specific personal steps to nurture talent by engaging individual staff members. Move people around and give them assignments “outside the box” that help the broader organization. Actively support participation in professional organizations.

7  Refresh your employee recognition program to celebrate the energy your people put into continuous improvement.

8  Don’t let stick-in-the-mud managers come between you and energetic supervisors who want to improve their operations. Reinforce the expectation that everyone in the enterprise can contribute to good change by holding senior managers accountable.

9  Require managers on the staff to prepare and carry out a current improvement plan every year, or every two years if you’re on a two-year planning cycle, which is actually the best practice.

10  Refine your performance appraisal program, which probably needs improving anyway, to solicit subordinate feedback about managers’ performance.

Change for the sake of change is nonsense. But so is setting static standards that never change. The best organizations are those that value and constantly work at continuous improvement.