Managing Change: Overcome Resistance by Involving Employees

The Agile Manager's Guide May 10th, 2002

Mill Valley, CA, US - MANAGING CHANGE:

OVERCOME RESISTANCE BY INVOLVING EMPLOYEES

Without a doubt, involving employees in change initiatives is among
the most
effective approaches to overcoming resistance. As mentioned earlier,
engage
employees in the change process from the start. Don't wait until it's
a done
deal.

There are a number of ways to engage employees:

• Solicit employee ideas in identifying potential problems and their
  solutions.


• Use employees as a sounding board for testing proposed change initiatives.


• Involve employees in choosing potential changes that might be pursued.


• Identify potential change leaders among the employee group.


• Place employees on the change-initiative planning group.


• Involve employees in implementing the change.


• Make employees involved in the planning responsible for communicating
  with
  their work-team members.


• Place monitoring and control functions in the hands of employees.


• Provide Support for Employees

Once employees have become committed to the change process, it's up
to you to
stand behind them. The manager must be responsible for ensuring that
employees
are properly trained for their new roles and responsibilities. You have
to
ensure that staff has the equipment, supplies, training, and facilities
necessary to get the job done.

You must also be prepared to recognize and reward staff for the job
they are
doing. And don't take forever doing it, either. Sometimes, employees
will
confront a very difficult period during a change initiative. Know when the time is right to say thank you and to recognize people for the sacrifices they are making.

Ensure Employees Know There Is No Turning Back

Sometimes employees will hedge their bets. They won't commit themselves all the way because they figure, well, this thing may not work out the way they've planned. They'll lie back, planning to avoid the fallout if the change fails.

Make it crystal clear: Once the line is crossed, there is no going back.
Once
you've committed to a change strategy it can only be successful if everyone
commits to it totally. Julius Caesar said as much when he uttered, " The
die is
cast. I have crossed the Rubicon. " With those words he committed
himself and his
legions to march on Rome. It was an act of sedition. But because he and
his
legions were decisive and committed, they were victorious.

So disabuse anyone on your staff of the notion that you can always go
back to
the way you did it before. There is no going back. There is no return
to the old
days, the old times, the old methods. There is only change, and more
change.

____________________________________

Feel free to forward this to a colleague. Adapted from The Agile Manager's
Guide
to Managing Change, by Robert J. Ristino. For details about this book
or any of
the other Agile Manager books visit: http://www.agilemanager.com/books.html

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