Change Management Techniques 101 Start with Leadership Involvement * Incedo Group

Change Management Techniques 101 Start with Leadership Involvement

May 27, 2014
, 7:07 am
, Leadership

Organizations are often in continual change mode, with some changes being more significant than others. Let’s face it…change is the nature of business today. Sadly, change is something not all employees are comfortable with, and because of this it is common practice for organizations to blame employees and middle management when a change fails. One change management technique is that employees need to ‘get with the plan,’ period. What this doesn’t recognize is that the way a leader manages organizational change has a significant impact on whether it’s supported or resisted. Blaming change-resistant employees simply misses the mark. The focus should be on what the leaders do – and what they fail to do. If a leader’s idea of change management techniques is an hour-long PowerPoint presentation followed by a strained Q&A period, it’s no wonder he experiences resistance to the change.

To be successful, change management techniques require leadership involvement. Some ideas on how to navigate the world of change include:

Be upfront: As soon as you know that change is coming, begin preparing the people in your company. It’s no big secret that one of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to inform people about the change effort in advance.
Communicate. Frequent and regular communication about the change will build trust, give you the opportunity to share expectations and allow employees to openly communicate their concerns, issues, fears or perceived challenges related to the change.
Be clear. Times of major company transformation call for straight talk rather than “beating around the bush.” Communicate explicitly that you need people to embrace the change, and openly outline the consequences of not doing so.
Allow accountability. We are all personally accountable for the manner in which we decide to handle change. It’s important that you don’t take responsibility when some of your people are not embracing the change within your company. You cannot make people do what they don’t want to do. Be clear, care about their feelings and the issues they are facing, but understand that in the end each person needs to be personally accountable for either stepping up or stepping out.
Be Realistic. Understand that if people are resisting change now, the likelihood is that they always will. Don’t expect a turnaround. Employees who are just “going along to get along” aren’t likely to ultimately support the change. Watch for productivity issues, absenteeism and conflict – these signs mark change-resistant attitudes.

I’m not suggesting that if you follow these change management techniques employees will fall into line and life will be hassle-free. Creating a culture where change is embraced rather than resisted isn’t easy. What I am suggesting is that by following the above tips an astute leader can build a change management strategy that addresses issues before they become problems. Leadership involvement is the critical component to effectively manage change—it’s where Change Management Techniques 101 begins and ends.