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For many organizations, change is a challenge. Whether the company wants to implement a small or a big change, it should consider how that change will affect the people. Change can come in many unknown forms for an organization and that could be scary, hence people are resistant to change.
Adjusting to something new is always a little difficult, but change isn’t a bad thing. When there is something as big as an organizational shift happening, it is essential to plan and anticipate employee resistance to it. Key tools can be implemented and Change Management expert can be approached to help employees manage the resistance more effectively.
What Is Meant By Resistance To Change?
Resistance to change is the reluctance or unwillingness to adapt to new conditions or ways of doing things. There could be many reasons for resistance, but the main reason for it is rooted in the fear of the unknown. People are wired in such a way that even the slightest uncertainty can trigger anxiety.
How Can You Overcome Resistance?
Before carrying out any change initiative, the leaders must understand that they will have to experience resistance which is normal. It will happen especially when people are not able to understand the change; they don’t trust the leadership or believe that the new initiative is required.
Now that we know of the reasons why people in an organization resist change, let us look at some of the ways suggested by Change Management expert to overcome resistance and how change can be implemented successfully.
Early Communication & Education
Communication with your employees is very essential. The first thing that should be done before any step towards change is taken is to make the employees understand the reasons for the change initiative. All people in the organization should be made to understand the reasons behind the change. If there is a lack of knowledge and communication, people tend to fill that void with speculation. Honest and open communication with your team is one of the ways to overcome resistance.
Participation And Involvement Of The Employees
For a successful Change Management initiative it is crucial to gather input from all departments and levels of the organization. Letting the employees participate and give their opinions lets them know that they are valued by the company.
Manipulation
If change-resistant people are to be encouraged to adjust their position, the information must be used in a selective way. The people who are happy with the change should be identified and make ‘change agents’. Their responsibility would be to sell the change to other people in the organization who are resistant to it. The leaders must choose the change agents very wisely.
Offer Ongoing Support
As the changes roll out, try and follow up with the employees who were resistant to the change and continue to make them feel like an important part of the effective changes. To make the change successful, provide training for new skills.
Conclusion
For both, employees and employers, change can be hard but with some anticipation and planning it can be managed effectively. By hiring a Proclipse Consulting Change Management expert one can ensure that they will not have to face any resistance issues from the employees. Even if they do, the team at Proclipse Consulting would handle the situation effectively.
