Facilitating Change: Strategies for Managers

Change is no longer a choice. Rapid advances in information technology, globalization and industry consolidation (mergers and acquisitions) have driven change to a frantic pace. Some have compared the impact of these current changes in the workplace to the changes brought about by the industrial revolution. Twenty years ago, who would have dreamed that many homes would have a fax machine?

Managers and supervisors have a unique challenge. These leaders have to not only accept change and manage change themselves, but they are most often charged with the task of helping others to cope with change. Change has become so prevalent, in fact, that in order to be successful, leaders not only have to accept change, they must drive change.

"Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change." - Henry Steele Commager

Build a Change-Ready Environment

  • Assess the capacity of your employees to accept change. This can be done formally with a pencil and paper measure (see part one of this article), or as an in-depth analysis (see Making Change Happen One Person at a Time by Charles Bishop). It can also be accomplished informally by focus group, discussion or individual interviews. The goal is to know where people stand with regard to change so you can plan accordingly.
  • Build an environment of trust. Promote openness, honesty and respect -model it. By "walking the talk" supervisors can demonstrate desired behavior as well as showing that attitude and message are consistent.
  • Encourage teamwork. Seek opportunities for collaboration. Group projects can build loyalty and increase morale.
  • Begin to promote a climate that rewards innovation and creativity. Ask employees to review processes and suggest changes. Turn employee or customer complaints into opportunities to brainstorm (as a team) about how to do things differently. Involve staff in small changes and illustrate that change can be positive.

Plan the Change

  • Create a vision. What will be the end result and benefit of successful change?
  • Link the change you envision to tangible business goals. Be willing to share this information.
  • Develop a preliminary plan for the transition with deadlines and intermediate goals. Plan to periodically assess the change and reevaluate the process. Let people know that you will seek input and involve them.

Turn Resistance into Readiness

  • Share the vision with employees at all levels. Help them see their role as change agents. Focus on the long-term gain.
  • Emphasize two-way communication. People need to know that management will not only provide information and answer questions, but also will seek input before and during the change process.
  • Understand the resistance on a personal level. Meet with employees individually to discuss the personal impact of change. Refer to your change assessments.
  • Start the process slowly with small changes. Give people a chance to be successful with small changes before asking for big ones. Build confidence by providing training and seeking input.

Motivating People to Change

  • Urgency: Demonstrate that the need for change is urgent. Creating a sense of urgency can jump-start employee motivation. Communicate clearly about the business objectives behind the changes. Seek informal leaders among your staff to champion the cause.
  • Inspiration: Inspire people to succeed. Make sure every employee feels a connection to the vision, and knows their contributions are valued. Ask people "What inspires you at work?" and use that information to reward and challenge them.
  • Ownership: Give people a sense of ownership in the change process. Empower them with information, responsibility and appropriate levels of authority. Honor them by regularly seeking and providing feedback.
  • Recognition: Reward the people and teams who contribute to positive change. Follow the PIP model for rewards: Personal, Immediate and Public. Also consider non-traditional ways to reward people such as increasing flexibility, allowing people to work from home or telecommute, or asking non-supervisory staff to serve as mentors or coaches. Look for opportunities to make work fun. Go beyond casual Friday. Be creative!

Implementing Change

  • Don't go too fast. In your change plan, account for a slow start. Gradually pick up the pace as people gain confidence and embrace the vision. Challenge people, don't panic them.
  • Provide necessary resources and support to assist in the change process. This is part of "walking the talk". Remember that support may be psychological as well as financial. You may need to spend more time with people during a transition. Consider this a wise investment and build it into your plan.
  • Seek feedback often about both the process of change and the feelings created by the change. Front line staff may have the best information about how things are working. Feedback sessions serve a dual purpose. They provide leaders with essential information, and they send a message to staff that their input is important.
  • Finally, as Stephen Covey would advise: "Sharpen the Saw." Read about the process of change management. The literature has countless examples of real-life change case studies, with both good and bad outcomes. Learn from the mistakes of others. Contact HR professionals for advice and consultation.

Adapted, in part, from Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers, by Robert Kriegel and David Brandt; and from Preparing for Change, Vital Learning Corporation 1994