3 Tips for Successful Change Management

3 Tips for Successful Change Management

Resistance to change is one of the most common yet difficult concepts for business to overcome.  If you are like most people, there is comfort in the familiar. Being asked to adjust your approach, change your skill set or address a role modification forces us out of our comfort zone. This typically increases the level of anxiety and stress, which fortifies the human tendency to resistance change.

By following these general steps, business leaders can increase the speed of change as well as create a culture where change is embraced and celebrated.

1.     Convince your Employees that Change is Necessary

The first question most people will ask when faced with change is “Why?” If you are not able to provide a compelling reason, it will be insanely difficult to sustain any initiative. Remember, your people are smart! They have a vested interest in the company. If change is necessary for the business to grow and you explain the business case, they will understand. Proactively explaining the “Why” will also drastically reduce the level of fear. People fear change. Proactively and continuously explaining why the change is necessary will reinforce the message as well as soften the voice of the naysayers.

2.     Involve your Employees in the Decision

Study after study demonstrates that people respond much better to a pull than a push. Having change thrust upon you without any input creates fear and intensifies resistance. Sounds a lot like, “Taxation without Representation” to me. Involving your employees in the decision process demonstrates that their thoughts and opinions are truly important. After all, they are the people doing the value added work every day. It only makes sense to listen to your experts. Creating programs like proposal and problem solving A3’s are an excellent way to facilitate positive change within your organization while giving your employee base a mechanism and a forum to have their ideas heard. People are far more likely to embrace and sustain change if it was their idea in the first place.

3.   Reinforce and Celebrate the Change

Change is hard enough; however sustaining change is the real challenge.  One of the easiest ways to achieve this goal is to collect and share feedback every week or month. This level of visibility illustrates the importance of the program to the entire company and helps demonstrate a sense of urgency. It also provides a system of checks and balances. Using the feedback you can identify gaps and quickly addresses them. Celebrating all of the success, large and small, has an enormous positive influence on the organization moral. This positive encouragement keeps people involved and creative.

Death, public speaking and change are the three things that impart the greatest level of fear in most people. Since change is a necessary and vital part of any organization, lowering the anxiety level is critical. By following these three simple steps, you can avoid the major pitfalls while increasing your change management effectiveness.