People commonly
resist change for a variety of reasons.
Although you intend for the change to result in a positive outcome,
change is often viewed as negative.
Before you can overcome the resistance it is wise to be aware of why the
resistance exists. Usually, it is a result of one of the following causes…
People not
agreeing with or understanding the value / benefits of the innovation.
Fear of the
unknown.
People have had
no opportunity to provide input in the planning or implementation of the
change.
Little or no
reward / benefits to the people impacted by the idea.
Increased
effort from people required as a result of implementing the idea.
Fear that the
change will result in job cuts.
Personality
clashes between the people affected by the idea and the ideas inventor.
No trust of the
people who have been mandated to implement the change
Belief that the
change is unnecessary or will make the situation worse
A belief that
the idea is inferior to another idea.
A feeling that
the change will result in a loss of security, status, money or friends.
Bad experiences
from similar changes that had been or been attempted to be implemented in the
past.
Being aware of
the causes mentioned above and being able to specifically identify which ones
may be relevant to our particular business greatly increases your chances of
overcoming the resistance to change.
Dr. John
Kotter, Harvard professor, author, and leadership consultant, shares that as
leaders we must motivate our teams by communicating our strategy and vision for
all changes, and he provides an 8-step process for implementing change:
1.Create a
sense of urgency
Present an
opportunity that helps the team see the need for change
2.Build a
guiding coalition
Get a group of
diverse, early adopters that will help communicate and guide the change
3.Form a
strategic vision and initiatives
Provide a
visual of what the change will look like and the direction you’re headed
4.Enlist
volunteers
Continually
obtain buy-in to keep the momentum and purpose moving forward
5.Enable
action by removing barriers
Keep apprised
of the challenges being faced and ensure strong communication and new processes
are in place
6.Generate
short-term wins
Reward and
recognize successes as they occur
7.Sustain
acceleration
Use the
successes as a springboard to continually move forward
8.Institute
change
Share how the
changes, processes, and initiatives contribute to the organization’s overall
success
It’s up to us
as leaders to minimize the fear of change by communicating the value of each
change, ultimately reducing resistance and obtaining success.
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