Change is the only constant. The pandemic amplified the fact that “change” is really the only thing that never goes away. As a mom of a toddler, I experience this first-hand on a daily basis. The favorite show or favorite food one day is suddenly a terrible idea the next day (or sometimes the next minute). Being agile as a parent, thinking on my feet, and “convincing” my son that my idea is actually “his” idea is key to a successful day with most toddlers.
Not much is different when thinking about change in the workplace – with a team, staff, or co-worker being faced with a change that they may or may not be excited about. While it’s not acceptable for your co-worker to break out into a tantrum on the floor like a toddler might, they may do other “adult-appropriate” actions that show resistance to the change. Different change methodologies, communication plans, and engagement tools can help smooth the bumps and minimize resistance on the path to change.
I recently had a chance to sit down with APQC’s Lynda Braksiek, the KM Principal Research Lead and a resident change management expert here at APQC. We had a lot of fun recording our podcast and talking about change. I’ve also had a chance to interview a few professionals on change management in the past few months.
Through all my conversations and our recent survey, I learned a lot about change, but some of the most notable things I discovered were:
- Leadership skills are important
- You should create a communication plan that fits your audience
- Engaging employees in the change helps with buy-in
Let’s dig into each of these.
Leadership Skills are Important
Listening, empathy, and the ability to coach are essential skills for change managers. While communication and training are important factors for a successful change, organizations need to also consider the resistance factor. Getting to the heart of why employees are resisting the change is important. So, change managers who tap into active listening, asking questions, and getting to the heart of why employees resist change are better equipped for effective change management.
Three key elements organizations should consider when leading teams through change are:
- Lead by example: when leaders participate and model the change, organizations see more buy-in from staff and more deeply embedded behaviors.
- Coaching and mentoring by middle managers are crucial for staff to fully learn and embed new practices.
- Monitor for sustained change: when managers check in periodically to ensure desired behaviors are sticking, greater adoption even among resistant employees can be achieved.
It's important to consider that when managing change, you are working with peers, people you may formally or informally lead within a project or team, and even leadership within and outside your chain. So, having a change manager with good leadership skills (including empathy, listening, and communication) is essential.
Create a Communication Plan
In almost every one of my conversations and interviews with professionals, communication was a topic that came up time and time again. Some key questions to ask oneself when communicating change are:
- When to communicate the change?
- How to communicate the change?
- Who should communicate the change?
Of course, the answer to each of the questions would be “it depends on the change project”, and that’s true. Every change initiative or project is going to be different and requires a different communication plan. When organizations create a framework for communicating change, it should be used as jumping-off point so change managers don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.
When talking with Emerson Manila Shared Services’s Joel Abanilla, he mentioned that communication should flow in multiple directions and be frequent enough to uncover any obstacles and deliver updates in a timely manner. Using multiple channels of communication for different types of messaging and ensuring that meetings occur frequently enough (but are not overly long or time-consuming) helps prevent change fatigue.
Engaging Employees is Key
Organizations have a wide range of engagement tactics at their disposal to drive change, from communications to training, manager coaching, formal recognition, and beyond. But not all engagement approaches are equally effective. APQC has found that involving employees in change, using targeted communications, and providing formal incentives significantly impacts the effectiveness of change management efforts. Giving employees a chance to be a part of the change process, not just onlookers, gives them a sense of ownership to the change.
To Learn More
While I’ve outlined key approaches organizations use to drive effective change, I’d encourage you to check out the content collection to learn more about effective change management practices.
To continue the conversation, connect with Madison on LinkedIn.