By Aaron Kaplan
The environment where businesses operate is not particularly stable and every business or organization, no matter how established they are, must sometimes radically change. Thus, the motto: “Change or Die!” is an oft-repeated rallying cry. However, our egos are fragile and we often see change as threatening. A recent study showed that even when employees are shown data that suggests that they need to change they latch onto whatever data they can find that suggests that they are okay and don’t need to change. Those who have negative feelings about change cope by not thinking about it or even by resigning.
Resistance to change can be positive if it leads to open discussion and debate. These responses are usually preferable to apathy or silence and can indicate that employees are engaged in the process. In addition, they provide change agents an opportunity to explain the rationale. Change agents can also use the resistance to modify the change to fit the preferences of others. When resistance to change is regarded as a threat, organizational dysfunction may increase.
It is important to note that not all change is good. Speed can lead to bad decisions and sometimes those initiating change fail to realize the full magnitude of the effects or their true costs. Rapid, transformational change is risky and some businesses have collapsed for this reason. Change agents need to carefully think through the full implications.
Here are six suggested tactics that can help deal with resistance to change:
Education & Communication: Communicating the logic of a change can reduce resistance in two ways. First, it fights the effects of misinformation and poor communication. Second, communication can help “sell” the need for change by packaging it properly.
Participation: It’s difficult to resist a change decision in which we’ve participated. Assuming participants have the expertise to make a meaningful contribution, their involvement can reduce resistance.
Building Support & Commitment: When fear and anxiety are high, counseling, new skills training, or a short paid leave of absence may facilitate adjustment. When there is a low emotional commitment to change, the status quo is favored and change is resisted. Additionally, firing up employees can also aid in the emotional commitment.
Develop Positive Relationships: People are more willing to accept changes if they trust those who are implementing them. Those who have a more positive relationship with the change agents take a more positive view of the process.
Fairly Implement Change: Procedural fairness is important when employees perceive an outcome as negative. Thus it is crucial that employees see the reason for the change and perceive its implementation as fair.
Selecting People Who Accept Change: Research suggests that the ability to accept and adapt to change is related to personality. Some people just have more positive attitudes about change than others. Such individuals are open to experience, take a positive attitude toward change, are willing to take risks, and are flexible in their behavior.
Ultimately, successful implementation of change will depend on the leader’s ability to articulate a vision that is attractive enough to justify the sacrifices and hardships the change will require. This vision must provide a sense of continuity for followers by linking past events and present strategies to a vivid image of a better future for the organization. This vision also must provide hope as well as faith that it will eventually be attained. Such a vision will provide guidance, focus, and a steady anchor throughout the implementation process.
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Aaron Kaplan, Founder/Director of the Kaplan Project LLC, can be reached by phone at 832-831-9451, by email at AKaplan@thekaplanproject.com, or visit his website at www.thekaplanproject.com.
