Being a new leader is hard.  Whipping up a bunch of needed change while treating people like humans is even harder.

You probably know what needs to be done.  I get it. The problem is that your wave of change is going to cause stress and panic.  It's up to you to do that change in a #workhuman way.  As it turns out, it's the path that gets you best, most sustainable organizational results over time.

First up, you're probably wondering about the #workhuman hashtag. WorkHuman was a concept started by Globoforce, a recognition and rewards technology solution for your employees. Last year, Globoforce held their first WorkHuman Conference with the focus on how to make our workplaces better for ourselves and our employees. I'm attending the 2016 version of the WorkHuman Conference - this post is part of that coverage.

Back to new leaders.  It's probably mandatory that you tear stuff up, right?  I was doing work last week on a retained search for a lead exec for an organization with a $90M budget. New leaders are going to push change in order to be successful.  As I talked to 5 candidates last week, it became clear to me that the leaders with the best chance to get change with the lowest possible body count (i.e., turnover, both involuntary and voluntary) do three things well.

Here's what I think leaders who get change in a #workhuman way do:

1. They understand the need to take 15 minutes to have a conversation when 30 seconds would have sufficed. I know what I want. I can tell you what to do or I can invest in a conversation, right?  If you feel like you've had input, you're much more likely to be down with the program - whether the ultimate idea was yours or not.  Good leaders understand that the investment of time is a down payment on getting the best results possible.

2. They understand that the best idea might not be theirs. New leaders tend to remember that there's a whole bunch of organizational knowledge they don't have. They put together groups to brainstorm problems and approaches.  They also cool with someone else's idea getting blended with what they already know needs to happen and aren't really concerned about credit for the idea in question.

3. They know that they have to "give" in order to "get" - or "take".  Big change can suck. When a new leader is about to do change with a capital "C", the best leaders understand that the best solutions are ones where they can give something to a group impacted by change.  They know that providing something to those impacted by change - and using it in the communication while being transparent and honest - always beats change that feels like a zero-sum game (you have to lose in order for me to win).

I had long conversations with 5 candidates last week.  2 of them fit the profile above, 3 didn't.  Guess which ones are moving forward in the process?

Want to learn more about creating a WorkHuman workplace?  The WorkHuman Conference is May 9-11th in beautiful Orlando, FL, with speakers Michael J. Fox (I liked him in The Secret to My Success), Mr. Happy Shawn Achor, TEDx start Ann Cuddy, and so much more. $300 off your registration by clicking on this link and using code WH16KD300.