Grr. Your team are stubbornly resisting change. Or are they? Is resistance to change a sign that people are stubborn or is it a signal that something in the way the change is being led isn’t landing?
We are often trained as leaders to sell the benefits of the change but what about considering what people fear losing? Do we give that enough thought?
People fear the impact (perceived or otherwise) that the change will have on their sense of:
- competence (will I still be good at my job?)
- control (Is this being done to me or with me?)
- identity (does this change who we or I am?)
- stability (how does this change things tomorrow?)
Ambiguity here fuels anxiety, so leaders should strive to provide clarity at three levels:
- Why this change matters now
- What will be different operationally
- What this means for each person
Most organisations communicate the first and assume the rest will cascade……
With that in mind, take time to think:
- Have you overly focussed on selling the benefits?
- What losses, real or perceived, might your teams be experiencing right now?
- Where might ambiguity be creating unnecessary anxiety?
- How can you improve your communication approach?
- In what ways do your own behaviours reinforce or undermine the change you’re asking others to make?
As leaders, we can show our people that we are role modelling the changes that all of us want to see. Let’s be better and be the change. Contact me via the link in the comments if you would like help to do so.
If you would like to read more articles encouraging you to think and be the change then visit https://jhcoaching.co.uk or email [email protected] if you would like to discuss.