Change is the new normal. Change is the only constant as they say! In our post-pandemic world, change is happening to just about every business and organisation.
However, change is not always easy or welcome. Many people within your organisation will resist change change or even actively try and undo it. This can have negative consequences for your business such as lower productivity, out of date systems and processes, high turnover and lower innovation. In short, it will hit your bottom line.
How can businesses manage resistance to change? In this blog, I’m going to walk you through some of the practices and strategies for overcoming resistance, based on the latest methodology from Change Management experts.
Do change management right, the first time
Now, this might sound glib, especially if you are coming here in the throws of a change project. But, getting your change foundation right, at the start of a project is key. Getting change right, means establishing a structured and systematic approach during the initiation of your project.
Setting the foundation means getting buy-in from your most senior stakeholders in the early phases of your project. Their influence will be key when the changes need to be embedded. Senior leaders can add credibility to the change and make the changes stick.
Setting the foundation also means being clear on your objectives, principles and outputs. Set up structures to avoid ‘project-creep’, where more and more things are added to a project. Be clear about what is in and what is outside of scope.
Plan for resistance
Anticipate and identify the sources of resistance within a change programme. Build in methods for addressing this resistance. Address resistance through meaningful feedback loops and create dialogue.
There is parallels here between how businesses communicate and how public sector organisations communicate with their customers. For example, there is little trust between a local council and their residents. Local council consultations often lack feedback loops, fail to communicate changes which have been made as a result of a consultation or worse, don’t make any changes at all.
To build trust, keep the following in mind:
- Maintain a consistent communications style.
- Be honest about what can be changed, what is working well and what needs to be improved.
- Be transparent about the reasons for change and be clear about the benefits.
- Report back once changes have been made as a result of feedback.
- Remember that not everyone communicates in the same way, so use a variety of techniques to get your message across.
Also, check out my blog on effective communications in change.
Overcome psychological barriers
When faced with a change, people might respond with fear, uncertainty or apathy. These are natural human responses, so expect them. Let’s expand on these here:
- Fear of loss: People may resist change because they fear losing something they value, such as status, power, security, relationships, or identity. They might also simply fear losing their job. Don’t underestimate this fear.
- Uncertainty: People may resist change because they are unsure about what the change will entail, how it will affect them, and whether they will be able to cope with it.
- Habit: People may resist change because they are comfortable with the way things are and they prefer to stick to their routines and patterns.
- Lack of trust: People may resist change because they do not trust the change agents, the change process, or the change outcomes.
To overcome these barriers, you should provide adequate training, coaching, and support to help people learn new skills and cope with the emotional impact of the change.
You should also provide incentives or rewards to motivate and recognise people for their efforts and achievements in the change process.
Finally, you must create a safe and supportive environment where people can express their feelings, concerns, and ideas without fear of judgement or retaliation.
Overcome organisational barriers
Besides individual barriers, there may also be organisational barriers that block the implementation of change. These barriers can be structural or procedural in nature. Some of the common organisational barriers are:
- Policies and rules: The existing policies and rules of the organisation may be incompatible with the change objectives or requirements.
- Systems and processes: The existing systems and processes may be ineffective and may need to be improved or redesigned.
- Structures and roles: The existing structures and roles of the organisation may be misaligned or unclear in relation to the change responsibilities or expectations.
- Culture and values: The existing culture and values of the organisation may be resistant or hostile to the change vision or purpose, and may need to be transformed or aligned.
- To overcome these organisational barriers, you should recognise and work to remove the obstacles that impede the change implementation or adoption.
You should also ensure alignment and coordination across different levels and units of the organisation, and avoid creating silos or conflicts.
Finally, monitor and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the change, and make adjustments as needed. By doing so, you can overcome the organisational barriers and create a conducive and supportive environment for the change.
There isn’t one way to do change, and how you plan for resistance will be different for every organisation. But, if structure your thinking around building a strong foundation which anticipates challenges, and then consider individual and organisational barriers to change, you should be well on your way to overcoming resistance to change.
This blog drew upon the methods and techniques outlined by PROSCI and the CIPD.