Transformational Leadership Series Section Four: Team & Consulting Skills Readiness and Resonance Skills 41 & 42 – Change Willingness & Readiness and Facilitating Team Spirit & Values Alignment

In this article, we explore two pivotal competencies:

• Skill 41 – Change Willingness & Readiness
• Skill 42 – Facilitate Team Spirit and Values Alignment

Skill 41 – Change Willingness & Readiness

Definition
The skill of exploring and assessing the willingness (attitude) and readiness (ability) for change within individuals and groups—identifying the real obstacles behind resistance and developing strategies to overcome them.

Why it matters

• You can’t coach what you don’t diagnose. Change stalls when leaders push action before uncovering emotional or practical resistance.
• Willingness ≠ readiness. Someone may agree with change in theory but lack time, skills, or clarity to engage.
• Customized support is key. Blanket messages miss the nuances that unlock movement.

How to implement

1. Assess both mindset and capacity. Use informal conversations, listening sessions, or pulse surveys.
2. Watch for invisible blockers. Stress, fatigue, personality or job fit, interests, gift, talents and passions are often unspoken but deeply influential.
3. Skills Identification. Readiness is a person’s ability to implement or fulfill what is being asked of them. Is there any training, proof or evidence that an individual has the skill (readiness) to be successful? If not how do you know they are ready? You don’t!
4. Offer skill-building. Ensure readiness includes training, mentoring, and time to learn.

Authors note: Willingness and readiness is over looked by many if not most organizations. You promote someone to be a site supervisor or an office manager but they have never lead others. Or the sales rep is now the sales manager or the officer is promoted to sergeant – this many times ends badly. Or someone who is capable (ready) but dislikes the role or not a personality fit for the position (willingness) is not taken into account.

Reference Resource

In Why Aren’t You More Like Me? by Dr. Ken Keis, we explore how Personal Style influences individual reactions to change. High-structure styles may crave control and stability. High-interactive styles may resist change that affects relationships. Understanding style equips leaders to meet people where they are.

Practice Exercise – Change Barriers Map

Ask your team to list:

• 3 reasons they’re willing to change
• 3 factors that make them feel unready
  Group the responses into themes. Then co-create actions to address readiness gaps.

Skill 42 – Facilitate Team Spirit and Values Alignment

Definition
The ability to explore and foster a sense of team spirit and synergy by aligning team members’ values, fostering a positive and collaborative team culture—and upholding shared values as behavioral standards.

Why it matters

• Shared values build trust. Teams with alignment in values resolve conflict faster and support one another more consistently.
• Team spirit energizes performance. Positive peer dynamics boost productivity, resilience, and retention.
• Clarity reduces confusion. Values alignment becomes a compass in times of pressure and change.

How to implement

1. Host a team values session. Ask: “What values define who we want to be together?” Use CRG’s Team Values Indicator to not only identify the core values but how well you are fulfilling them.
2. Use stories, not slogans. Invite examples of team moments that reflect core values.
3. Translate values into behaviors. Define what each value looks like in action.
4. Celebrate culture carriers. Recognize team members who model the values.
5. Call out misalignment early. Don’t allow poor behavior to erode what the team has built.

Practice Activity – Team Culture Canvas

Have the team co-create a visual board with:

• Top 5 team values
• Sample behaviors that reflect each value
• What to do when values are violated
  Post the canvas where the team meets regularly. Update it quarterly.

Harmony Before Momentum