11 Ways to Overcome Change Resistance
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Is change really the only constant in life? Many well-known thought leaders – as well as at least one ancient Greek philosopher (Heraclitus) – seem to think so. It may not be the only constant, but change is certainly an important – and ongoing – aspect of the world of work.

11 Strategies for Overcoming Change Resistance

HR professionals, executives, managers and business owners are well-served by spending some time learning how to overcome change resistance. Strategies that can be helpful include:

1.Solicit buy-in for the need for change before announcing/implementing a change. This will ensure that people understand why change is needed and allow them to realize that keeping things the same isn’t a viable option.

2.Involve people whose day-to-day duties and roles will be affected by a change in the brainstorming and problem solving process before deciding how things will change. People are much more likely to “own” change if they have some input in creating it.

3.Pilot the change with a relatively small group and make tweaks to ensure success before rolling it out to the entire organization. This leads to early adopters who can champion the change as well as demonstrates that the change is possible.

4.Ensure the people impacted by the change thoroughly understand the problem or situation that led to the need for change. If people understand why the change is needed, they’ll likely be much more open to it than if they think it’s just change for the sake of change.

5.Verbalize clearly how exactly the change will impact the day-to-day lives of the people who will need to alter what or how they work or will be impacted in some other way. This provides a structure for processing the change and shows that management has actually thought through the implications.

6.Detail the pros and cons of the change when conveying it to people who will be impacted. This also provides structure and demonstrates that the decision makers are fully aware of the implications.

7.Clearly explain the benefits of the change in terms of how it serves the interests of the people who will need to adopt it. Clearly link it to real issues that people who will be affected by it care about instead of focusing solely on how it serves the interest of the organization.

8.Provide a clear plan for training affected workers as necessary to implement the change. This will keep them from feeling that you’ve dumped change on them and left them to fend for themselves to make it work.

9.Allow people who will be impacted by the change time and opportunity to voice concerns that they may have. People need sufficient time to process the change and to have an opportunity to be heard once they’ve done so.

10.Provide information designed to alleviate the concerns of people who are impacted by the change but resistant to adopt it. Basically, think through all of the objections an affected worker may have and proactively provide information designed to overcome each one.

11.Clearly communicate – and be consistent in enforcing – the consequences for failing to adopt the change once it has officially been implemented. While it’s best if people comply with change because they believe in it, they need to be aware that the change is mandatory.

Key Skill for Decision-Makers

Companies change focuses and strategies and departments change procedures and personnel all the time. These types of changes occur on an ongoing basis, and they represent just a few examples of the many changes that impact modern organizations and the people who work in them. Being prepared for – and knowing how to overcome – change resistance is a key skill for company decision-makers, leaders and influencers.