The pandemic has forced many businesses to transform themselves digitally to stay afloat. Most organization is bound to experience internal barriers to change regardless of the industry or company size. An effective change management plan sets the tone for success.
In facing the disruption caused by the pandemic, CHANGE is one of the few certainties in our lives. Business leaders must anticipate and plan for change. Effective change management can mitigate an adverse operation disruption to the business. To create successful change strategies, leaders must understand the resistance issues faced within the organization.
Individual Change Resistance
Employees commonly have fear. Even the most loyal member resists change. Why are we afraid of change?
We fear the loss of control, and the changes in work habits and routines. Worse still, we are concerned about our skill competency. Will we be redundant in the workplace?
Business leaders must not overlook the feelings of employees. However, they have the typical bureaucracy mindset that I’m the boss. Do what I tell you to do. This kind of mindset will cause a lack of desire to embrace a new practice which eventually creates a complete barrier to change management.
The business entity should include upskilling and re-training programs as part of the change management.
Lack of Communication
Many small-and-medium businesses I encounter have no clear and effective communication strategy. Most top leaders have the perception. When they announce a change strategy, people will adjust and follow accordingly. Just ridiculous.
Business leaders should stop making announcements but communicate the implementation strategies. Tell employees how the change will help and what to expect. Set clear expectations, not just the talking.
Lack of Strategic Direction
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory.
Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.
Communicate. Communicate.
Before implementing any change in the business, leaders must first clarify the change objectives. Why do we need to implement “this” change?
Employees are more willing to take a productive role in the change process when communicated with a clear implementation strategy and tactics.
Lack of Consistency
The lack of consistency in the plan goes in line with the lack of strategic direction in leadership. We all experience this throughout our career life. We also become frustrated by it. Sometimes we question if leaders have common sense.
Anticipate experiencing an increase in workload and time-consuming learning to use a new platform during any change implementation. As the plan progresses, positive benefits will generate more buy-in from teams. However, leaders who change plans often without clear goals and consistent communication will undermine the whole implementation.
Lack of Leadership
Change starts at the top but happens at the bottom.
This change barrier should come second, but I put it last.
Ironically, leaders treat strategy creation and execution as separate and sequential activities. Leaders get too focused on the carrot and stick approach, such as changing spans of control and setting up unrealistic KPIs. Employees are then left to implement the change by themselves. The structural silos in a business structure will breed internal tensions and infighting. Poor behaviour control and personal agendas would shape a resistant culture too.
While carrot and stick have their roles to play, they do little to inspire and build employee confidence, which is critical in effective change management. For example, top management set the KPI to double the business’ lead volume. So the marketing team achieves just so. The result shows they have doubled the lead volume but halved the quality. The revenue is back to square one.
Successful change management begins with transparency, active leadership and employee support.
The Best Leadership?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to change management. When change becomes necessary, it is critical to identify the real issues behind those resistances and mitigate them proactively. In general, the main goal of CHANGE is to improve and maintain business productivity.
Change management is like redesigning a business. Therefore, successful change leaders must have the ability to understand CHANGE. What will be changed, why do we need to change and how we will change? Business leaders keep the change approach simple and focus, also tiny on the details. They would maintain the brand essence. Successful leaders won’t reinvent something not relevant to the consumer market.
In simple terms, participation is the best antidote to resistance and information is the best medicine for uncertainty. Change leaders will address the emotional needs of employees with resources. Subsequently, overcome the barrier that hinders effective change management.
Once change leaders understand change and those organizational barriers, it will be easier to manage and implement it. In the end, everyone in the organization will be comfortable embracing the new change.