Getting Employees on Board with Change

With transformation initiatives sprouting across industries, getting employees on board with change is key to success. Change resistance is inevitable. It is a damper to the speed of implementation and employee morale. By understanding their change readiness, businesses can develop an effective plan for change management.

There are four key success factors to get employees on board with change.

1. Decisive leadership

Transformation initiatives involve a significant overhaul of the status quo. Usually, there is no turning back. As a result, leaders need to take a decisive and firm approach to manage change. The change readiness assessment of the business provides insight on the pace of implementation and the scope of work needed to change mindsets and behaviors. An effective plan comprises appropriate tactics for transitioning the early adopters, those who sit on the fence and the resistors.

2. Full transparency

It is better to communicate more.  Full transparency is the best approach to squelch misleading guesses that result in unnecessary fear and worries. Share the transformation roadmap and as much as you can about the change impacts. Be ready to address questions and concerns. It is critical to designate a core group to do the communication. This group needs to work with the same language and the same tailored but relevant messages to avoid confusion. It is fine to state even the unknowns.

3. Change champions

The project team needs to recruit change champions. These champions are respected individuals from the areas affected. They play an important role as the ambassador to facilitate change. With their knowledge about work in their respective areas, they help the project team design a transition plan that addresses the training and support needed. Their involvement with the project builds trust in the areas they represent.

4. Frequent interactions

Most transformation initiatives span over months. It is necessary to maintain a regular flow of information and interactions. When communication is far and few, people wonder about the initiative’s progress and success. So it is better to establish a schedule to update everyone and utilize the time to provide opportunities for dialogues. It is an excellent way to build support for change and sway those sitting on the fence.

Businesses ought to invest time and effort to cultivate an environment where people buy in the need for change and modify how they operate. Adopting change is more than a short term effort to comply. It is a will to modify behaviors because they believe the change is for the better.