Capital One Urges Leaders to Listen Before They Launch

Change programs gain traction when employees understand the purpose before they are asked to alter the way they work. Cross-functional partners should be brought into decisions early, rather than being presented with finished plans. Managers should measure how teams are experiencing change, not simply whether milestones are being met.

Every financial institution talks about transformation. The technical work may attract the headlines, but the organizational work often determines whether new initiatives succeed or stall. Jay Michelini, vice president of product at Capital One Business, said successful change management begins before new software reaches production. The first responsibility for leaders is making certain employees understand why change is taking place. “You’ve got to lead with the ‘why,’” Michelini told PYMNTS in an interview. Within the FinTech space, new entrants, changing customer expectations and emerging technologies regularly reshape priorities. Leaders should acknowledge that constant adjustment has become part of the operating environment instead of treating each shift as an isolated event, Michelini said. He also argued against relying solely on executive messaging. Organizations benefit when they identify employees who are genuinely interested in a particular initiative and can help explain its practical...