Staying ahead of changing technology and a changing business environment means continually adapting and implementing new ideas to stay successful.
However, many people tend to shy away from change. the people no I like it change of procedures, processes and general change in general. The status quo is comfortable. Change seems difficult.
If you are the person in charge of making changes, this is a frustrating ordeal. You are tasked with implementing a new system or product and encounter active resistance. What is your job?
How do we overcome the desire to remain stuck with coworkers, bosses, and employees? We can start by understanding why most people don’t like change, and then find ways to overcome that opposition.
When asked, people complain about the change because:
1. Slow implementation. It takes so long for the organization to make the change that people lose interest, incur additional costs, add time, and increase rework.
2. Lack of sense of urgency on the part of the leaders. When leaders are not early adopters of the new system, the team thinks the change is not important. Do you remember AOL in 2005? AOL’s CEO was Randy Falco, who didn’t use email. His secretary printed out his emails for him to review. (Yes, we’re all wondering how AOL’s CEO didn’t use email.) If you don’t use your own product, how do you engage with your customers and understand the challenges of your own employees?
3. Lack of understanding of employee resistance, burnout, feelings, and considerations. Many employees may feel that they “can’t make me change” and in some ways they are right. Employees can actively work against change because “it’s the way we’ve always done it.” They are comfortable with the current work environment. People who made 8-track tapes didn’t want to learn how to make cassette tapes either.
4. End benefits are not perceived by end users. If the advantages of the new system are not obvious, the comparison will be negative. “This isn’t much better than the old system. Why are we spending all this time and money on this?” Have you ever bought a new computer upgrade and been disappointed? This leads to a lack of morality, loss of productivity, and a sincere lack of effort to adapt.
5. Lack of confidence in the new system or product. There is a fear that the new system will be even worse or will not work. “This is as bad as the old system.” Employees worry that they will have to make the change just to change back, or that the new system is a bridge to another new system.
6. Lack of understanding of the time needed to make changes. I was recently in a medical office implementing a new computer system. Patients (including myself) waited over an hour as staff and the “implementation team” that arrived struggled to manage the new federally mandated computer system. Staff apologies and excuses were delivered to patients without a sense of urgency or sincerity. They seemed bored. “This is a new system, we’re sorry for the delay,” which did little to alleviate patient frustration. One woman asked why she was not notified in advance of her arrival if the office was running more than an hour late. (I thought that was a good point).
If you are changing systems and it is not of immediate benefit to the inconveniences, they will become hostile, not only with their own staff, but also with customers.
7. No clear sense of accomplishment. As people strive for new projects, they need measurable steps to make sure they meet the requirements. This also gives the teams a chance to celebrate. A series of small wins helps keep employees focused and motivated.
8. Project fatigue. I know of organizations that spend so much time preparing people for new changes that they are constantly “crying wolf” – when it finally happens, we’re tired of hearing about it.
Shortly before my retirement from the Navy, the Navy brass decided to change the uniform that everyone was required to purchase (cost = $45 for the shirt and shorts) and wear to our physical training tryouts. This was supposed to be an improvement over the old uniform that no one wore. The navy blue shorts and bright orange shirt are ugly. They were widely despised by users, and worse, no one knew why the change was ordered.
For change to work, organizations need continuous improvement, user feedback, help available with questions and to process problems, and early and consistent relevant training.
Make sure the change you want to make in an organization is worthwhile and clearly communicated. Make sure leadership is fully behind the implementation and that the schedule includes enough training time. Make sure people understand the “why” behind the change and not just the “what”. (I just don’t think the new uniform would make me run faster.)
Real change to improve performance, increase efficiency, offer better products or services and better serve the user.
If you’re going to make a change, do it right.