How to Overcome Resistance to Change
Communicate the need for change., Communicate early and effectively., Present the pros and cons of the change., Address individual concerns., Resolve conflicts quickly and effectively., Accept feedback.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Communicate the need for change.
The first step that you should take in creating change in your organization is to communicate the need for it.
Perhaps your office has high staff turnover or burnout.
Maybe sales have been dropping for years.
Perhaps you can’t get people to attend the programs that you put on.
Whatever the issue, communicate this to your audience or staff so that they acknowledge that something is not working.For instance, you might say “I think that change can be a scary thing sometimes, but to me, what’s even scarier is being ineffective and not reaching our true potential.
The issues that we have didn’t appear overnight and nor will the effects of these changes, but we have to try our best.” Try to put a human face on the situation by sharing story that illustrates the need for change.
This may make it easier to get through to your audience or staff. -
Step 2: Communicate early and effectively.
Once you begin to implement changes within your office or organization, communicate these changes to your team as soon as possible.
Don’t allow them to find out through others; they should be hearing about any changes straight from you.Consider holding weekly staff meetings to update your staff on any changes.
If the information is sensitive or urgent, send an email or call an emergency meeting.
Be honest when asked any questions.
Remember that lies can poison morale and trust. , Talk to them about the potential good that can come from the changes.
Do not be overly optimistic, however.
It’s important that you are real with them and explain to them the cons, as well.
Empower them to assist you in battling the cons.For instance, perhaps you are a coach and you are implementing a new workout routine that has been proven to help in performance.
However, these routines might make practices longer.
Be honest with your team about the reality of any changes to be made so that you can be more trustworthy. , Should anyone on your team have a concern with the changes presented, don’t allow their disgruntlement to fester.
Address it quickly and empathetically with them.
Most of the time, people’s concerns are fixable, so work to create solutions when possible.For instance, perhaps you have an employee who is concerned about being laid off.
If you know that this particular employee is not a risk and there will be no changes to the budget, assure them that their position is safe as long as they continue to work hard.
Make sure that everyone is aware of how they can contact you with their concerns.
You may have to repeat it several times.
Also, you may want to meet with people individually or in small groups as the changes happen.
This will help you to identify and address problems early on.
Don’t wait for people to come to you. , In addition to having some potential anger or frustration with you, there might arise some conflict between your employees.
Perhaps some of the changes made seem to benefit certain employees more than others.
Address these concerns with them and seek solutions to the issues.Schedule a meeting to discuss these issues with your staff.
Remind them of the necessity of the changes so that they can come to think of them with reason rather than emotion. , Though your changes might be good and might truly help improve your office, there are kinks in every plan.
Should one of your staff identify one of these kinks, acknowledge their foresight and thoughtfulness and work to implement their feedback.
Enlist them to help you on this project so they have more buy-in in the process.You may even consider an anonymous method for people to provide feedback, such as a comment box or an anonymous survey they can complete online. -
Step 3: Present the pros and cons of the change.
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Step 4: Address individual concerns.
-
Step 5: Resolve conflicts quickly and effectively.
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Step 6: Accept feedback.
Detailed Guide
The first step that you should take in creating change in your organization is to communicate the need for it.
Perhaps your office has high staff turnover or burnout.
Maybe sales have been dropping for years.
Perhaps you can’t get people to attend the programs that you put on.
Whatever the issue, communicate this to your audience or staff so that they acknowledge that something is not working.For instance, you might say “I think that change can be a scary thing sometimes, but to me, what’s even scarier is being ineffective and not reaching our true potential.
The issues that we have didn’t appear overnight and nor will the effects of these changes, but we have to try our best.” Try to put a human face on the situation by sharing story that illustrates the need for change.
This may make it easier to get through to your audience or staff.
Once you begin to implement changes within your office or organization, communicate these changes to your team as soon as possible.
Don’t allow them to find out through others; they should be hearing about any changes straight from you.Consider holding weekly staff meetings to update your staff on any changes.
If the information is sensitive or urgent, send an email or call an emergency meeting.
Be honest when asked any questions.
Remember that lies can poison morale and trust. , Talk to them about the potential good that can come from the changes.
Do not be overly optimistic, however.
It’s important that you are real with them and explain to them the cons, as well.
Empower them to assist you in battling the cons.For instance, perhaps you are a coach and you are implementing a new workout routine that has been proven to help in performance.
However, these routines might make practices longer.
Be honest with your team about the reality of any changes to be made so that you can be more trustworthy. , Should anyone on your team have a concern with the changes presented, don’t allow their disgruntlement to fester.
Address it quickly and empathetically with them.
Most of the time, people’s concerns are fixable, so work to create solutions when possible.For instance, perhaps you have an employee who is concerned about being laid off.
If you know that this particular employee is not a risk and there will be no changes to the budget, assure them that their position is safe as long as they continue to work hard.
Make sure that everyone is aware of how they can contact you with their concerns.
You may have to repeat it several times.
Also, you may want to meet with people individually or in small groups as the changes happen.
This will help you to identify and address problems early on.
Don’t wait for people to come to you. , In addition to having some potential anger or frustration with you, there might arise some conflict between your employees.
Perhaps some of the changes made seem to benefit certain employees more than others.
Address these concerns with them and seek solutions to the issues.Schedule a meeting to discuss these issues with your staff.
Remind them of the necessity of the changes so that they can come to think of them with reason rather than emotion. , Though your changes might be good and might truly help improve your office, there are kinks in every plan.
Should one of your staff identify one of these kinks, acknowledge their foresight and thoughtfulness and work to implement their feedback.
Enlist them to help you on this project so they have more buy-in in the process.You may even consider an anonymous method for people to provide feedback, such as a comment box or an anonymous survey they can complete online.
About the Author
Deborah Davis
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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