Seven Tips To Help You Manage Resistance To Change

Sep 26
06:50

2008

Shelley Holmes

Shelley Holmes

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Managing change is one certainty all leaders face. Use these 7 tips to help you proactively manage change in your workplace

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A Breakthrough Leader is able to maintain productivity,Seven Tips To Help You Manage Resistance To Change Articles and minimize disruption and stress during times of change. Use these 7 tips to help you get the most out of the change process

Some Causes Of Resistance To Change?

Team members often cite these reasons for resisting change:

a. Not completely understanding why the change is taking place

b. Complacency - people resist change because they don't see there's an urgent need to change

c. Discomfort with the time in which they must transition from one way to another of working

d. Not feeling as if they are being supported or listened to

e. Things they place a high value on being threatened

f. Being taken out of their comfort zone

Seven Proactive Ways For Managing Resistance To Change

Use these tips to help you and your team quickly adapt to the changing needs of the environment and your workplace.

1. Evaluate your stand on the change. Are you resistant? Do you have problems with the change? If so, it could be that the objection that you have to the change is coming out and is visibly apparent to the employees that you manage. Carefully evaluate how you feel about the transition that is being experienced in your business. If you find that you are resistant, discover why and correct the problem immediately. You will soon find that the more comfortable you are, the more comfortable your employees will be as well.

2. Once you are sure that you are comfortable with the change, and that your employees see your comfort level, it is time to create an atmosphere where you encourage your employees to be adaptive. The best way to do this is to gain a complete understanding of the change that is occurring, and then outline the main benefits to the change. Be sure to highlight the advantages of the change on a company level, as well as on an employee level. Be sure that you present this to your employees, and that you allow your employees to ask questions until they have a high level of understanding of the changes that are facing them.

3. For most people, any change is uncomfortable. Therefore, when managing change in the workplace, it is your job to help people to see that whatever they've been doing in the past can no longer take place. That neither they, nor the business, will be relevant without change.

Ignite the fire of urgency to change and do so without frightening people and destroying your teams' self-confidence and perceived ability to win. Create a belief that "We can do better!". Present to people proof that they can see, touch, feel that inspires them to see that the change must take place and take place fast!

4. Now, it is time for delegation. All people want to know that what they do is important and significant and that they are playing to their strengths each day. You should identify the strengths of the employees that you have and then delegate responsibilities that are appropriate to those strengths, as well as the interests of the employees. This will motivate them to take an active role in the changes that are occurring in the workplace.

5. Now that your employees are leaning more towards the change that is taking place, you should set up an evaluation program that works closely to ensure that everyone is on track when it comes to the transitions that they have to make. This system is a little different than a standard performance evaluation in that it is not working to ensure that metrics are being met, but to ensure that everyone on the team knows and understands their role, and to see if there are any questions that need to be asked, or concerns that need to be voiced. Allowing proactive communication with employees that are resistant to change is a very important aspect to managing these employees.

6. As time progresses, several changes will occur after the initial change has been adapted to. As these changes take place, your business grows and develops. It is absolutely vital that you allow the opportunity for your employees to grow and develop as well. Periodically running training workshops is and effective way of encourage people to grow. It is great to have little classes that are educational in basis to update employees regularly, recognize the efforts of your team, and supply any tools and resources that are necessary to perform a job appropriately.

7. Finally, recognizing and rewarding your team members is important in proactively managing resistance to change. This will help to make the transition process for the next change that occurs in your business to be smooth, and even welcomed by the members of the team that you lead.

Managing change can be complicated. When you have team members who are resistant to the change, it is even more challenging. However, by following these 7 proactive ways for managing resistance to change, you are likely to overcome the obstacle with success!