When employees are asked to change to help the business meet future challenges, they go on a well-documented journey: denial, resistance, exploration and then commitment, often referred to as a change curve.
To speed your people on their way, you need to:
- paint the big picture – the rationale for the change;
- let people know you understand that change is stressful (but be wary of saying “I know what you’re going through” – you don’t);
- be honest – discuss the challenges associated with the change;
- use workshops to get quick results from participants. Allow people to express concerns and listen and respond in an empathetic yet positive way;
- acknowledge losses – of people, sites, ways of working;
- in time, encourage dialogue about the benefits to help nudge along those still resisting; and
- celebrate little wins along the way – and the ultimate delivery of the change.
We deliver more practical tips like these in our communication skills workshops. If you are looking to engage your people to make change happen within your organisation, our change communication consultancy service can help inspire you and your people to take the action necessary and make it stick.
