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Q: My organisation is implementing a major change in one month’s time, but has not done any change management. I can foresee problems as we have not communicated well over the past few months. Is it too late to do some change management?
A: It is always more effective to start change management when the change starts, as this reduces the risk of failure. However it is not too late. The most important activity you can do to support the project pre-implementation, is to get support from the project sponsor to communicate to the key people impacted by the change. You may also find it useful to do a risk assessment of the likely areas of resistance, or groups that are the most impacted by the change.
Q: We are encountering so much resistance to change from staff, it is jeopardising the project. How can we get people on board?
A: Resistance is a normal part of the change process. But prolonged resistance is a signal that you have not yet won people’s hearts and minds. I suggest you identify the groups or individuals who are resisting the change, and understand what their questions and concerns are. If you can talk to the people concerned directly, all the better. But make sure you listen well and don’t debate them.
You then need to come up with solutions for these concerns. Sometimes people resist change for good reasons! The solutions may be communication from senior managers, team sessions, or one-to-one sessions. Steer clear of email and other forms of broadcast communications, as face to face communications is more effective.
You may need to re-visit information you believe you have already covered, or perhaps re-design the messages so they are less technical, or contain less management jargon and are more on the target audience’s wavelength. Line managers have a key role in managing their staff’s resistance, so work closely with them.