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How to Overcome Resistance and Get Employee Buy-In for Change
No matter the endeavor, whether it's a new process or software tool being introduced within an organization or individual employees undergoing organizational transition, resistance from employees will inevitably arise and being prepared is key for its successful execution. Anticipating and planning ahead for this event are integral to its success.
Even when communication and employee involvement are prioritized, change can still create fear in employees for various reasons.
1. Build Trust
As companies implement change, employees may experience anxiety. They could worry about its effect on their paycheck, they may struggle to understand why changes are being implemented, or they might believe they won't be able to adapt quickly enough to the new system.
To alleviate employee anxiety during this transition, it's essential that there be regular and open communication throughout the process. Hold an all-hands meeting where changes are explained thoroughly and employees have an opportunity to ask any questions they might have about these new changes; then offer to meet individually with employees to address their inquiries and answer their queries.
Communication about how these changes will benefit individual employees is also key for making the transition smooth. Breaking your project down into smaller steps to reduce feelings of overwhelm or discouragement (known as "batching") will allow employees to digest changes more easily while keeping them engaged throughout their journey.
2. Reward Success
Once change has been successfully implemented, it's essential that employees are acknowledged and rewarded for their contributions. Doing so will foster an environment that supports future changes while encouraging employee engagement.
Although not guaranteed to work for everyone, this strategy can be an effective way to reduce resistance and get employees on board with new initiatives. Focusing on the benefits rather than costs may also help employees understand why change needs to happen.
Resistance to change often stems from fear, especially if it involves their job. By identifying their fears and concerns directly and providing a clear plan of action for transition periods; you can address those expressing fears directly while assuaging their concerns about being negatively affected by changes. It can also help sharing success stories from companies who have implemented similar changes.
3. Create a Culture of Innovation
If you want your employees to embrace change, they need to feel that their ideas will be valued. Cultures of innovation promote commitment, creative risk-taking, crowdsourcing and communication - as well as provide motivation needed to maximize team potential.
Structure can stifle innovation, so leaders should assess their current organizational design and adopt an agile approach. This will facilitate more collaboration and decentralization of ideas while lessening fears associated with failure.
For your employees to fully embrace change, it is crucial that frequent and transparent communications take place. This may involve all-hands meetings and one-on-one discussions as well as surveys designed to understand where employees stand on resistance to change - are they in Awareness, Desire or Ability stages? Once you understand where they stand in terms of resistance you can effectively manage their concerns.
4. Develop a Plan of Action
No matter the change you seek to implement - whether that be new technology, restructuring teams, or otherwise - employees may resist it at first. By learning how to manage employee resistance effectively and quickly enact change more swiftly.
Understanding what's driving employee resistance to change and providing a plan that addresses their concerns are keys to managing it successfully. For instance, if employees fear an impactful transition on their jobs may require training that prepares them or rolling it out gradually so they have ample time to adapt can help ease resistance.
If the change requires significant shifts in company culture, you may wish to introduce it gradually and in stages. This will give employees time to adjust and decrease anxiety before full implementation takes place. You may find it helpful involving department and team leaders in planning the change so they can assist others with getting onboard quickly and smoothly.
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