People change in and of their own volition, based upon decisions that are in their own best interests. What good businesses do, is help establish an environment that makes change conducive, easy and appropriate for the people within the organisation.
Here are some smart strategies to create an environment for change:
- Involve the appropriate people - Involve employees in planning, implementation and evaluation. If the people actively participate they will be more likely to feel ownership of the change and will be less likely to resist.
- Gain support from respected peers - People tend to follow the lead of respected peers within an organisation. If you gain the support of these people, you will become more likely to have the others follow.
- Concentrate on the adventurous - By focussing on people who are adventurous and less fearful, you will be able to build a group of employees who will support your efforts at innovation. Concentrate on the doers, not the doubters.
- Avoid deeply entrenched traditions - Know when to change and when not to. Don't get involved in anything that has too high a likelihood of failure.
- Reduce the threat - Meet with selected employees to determine the most threatening aspects of the change. Then enhance the favourable elements and reduce the elements that are risky or uncomfortable for the employees. If needed, implement a pilot program first, to allay fears.
- Identify and prevent obstacles - Employees will be more likely to embrace the change if they know that you have taken the time to predict where failure could happen and develop mechanisms for reducing the possibility and seriousness of failure.
- Highlight the benefits - Minimise the risks and emphasise the benefits. Always focus on how the change will benefit the employees.
- Present enthusiastically - Maintain good public relations with the affected groups and be enthusiastic about the change. If you are not enthusiastic; why should your people be?
- Build a track record - Concentrate on one project at a time and make it successful. Success more than any other factor will show your people that there is nothing to fear from change.