Resistance to Change in Business: Here is How to Overcome It
We have all heard that “change is good” and can help your organization to grow and become more successful. Be it using adopting new technology or shifting to new strategies, employees can quickly become the number one component to resist change. Employees resist change because of uncertainty about their future.
The good thing about it is that you can overcome it through good management. Here are common strategies that you can use to overcome resistance to change.
Engaging Employees about Change
One of the main reasons why employees are resistant to changes is because they do not understand what it is all about. For example, if you are introducing new technology, the ultimate goal might be to increase productivity and outdo competitors. This could work in employees favor as the company stands a better chance for success, but they end up resisting from the view that they might be rendered jobless.
When you engage employees, it becomes easy to tell them about the reasons for changes. You will be surprised to realize that most employees are willing to support you and have awesome ideas that can enrich the new changes. So, make sure to get employees engaged early enough in the change process to make the change fast and enjoyable.
Keep Employees Motivated All the Time
Once you have conceptualized the changes that your company needs, it is the workers who will implement it. To overcome the resistance, you need to keep the employees motivated all the time and make them feel an important part of the organization. This way, they will see changes as a way of improving them as opposed to knocking them out. You can achieve this motivation through the following:
- Training staff about changes and equipping them with new skills.
- Rewarding staff appropriately for good performance.
- Providing staff with the assurance of retention in the company.
- Making the journey for career growth clear.
Implement Change in Phases by Iskander Makhmudov
Whether digital or other type of changes, the truth is that no transformation can just happen overnight. When change is implemented rapidly, famous CEOs are clear : most employees find it hard to understand and support. However, implementing changes in stages makes it easy for them to learn new skills that will help to achieve the following:
- New skills help to make employees feel part of your change drivers.
- Apart from resisting change, new skills will be crucial in making the changes even more effective.
If you have a business, the sure way to maintain it on a growth trajectory is making regular changes. Using the strategies outlined in this post, you have an opportunity to reduce resistance to change and make employees part of the transformation. See – they become a new force that you can rely on to drive changes and become more successful in business.