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In this month’s issue:
Reducing resistance to change
I was reading this article the other day in the online version of the UK’s Daily Telegraph.
Two men and a woman, plus a French manager, were held captive for 18 hours at the Scapa adhesive factory in the south of the country. Trade union members prevented them from leaving after negotiations over the loss of 68 jobs collapsed on Tuesday. A trade union representative said that the executives had been "free to wander around the plant as they wish, but not to leave". Police officers were standing by so as not to "inflame the situation by intimidating workers".
It even has a name now – “bossnapping”. It is becoming quite a common occurrence. Whatever it’s called it certainly put a whole new spin on the word resistance. It made me think hard about resistance in the current climate. Were the layoffs, pay cuts and general economic downturn having an effect on people and their attitudes to change?
It was further brought home to me when I ran a webinar for people this morning on tactics to use in a cost reduction environment. When asked what is the biggest issue facing change agents a large number talked about increased employee resistance. Despite fearing for job security people were still finding ways to resist change. This must be a big issue to all change agents working hard to try and implement business-critical changes.
Resistance triggers
We know that psychologically this is all to do with people feeling loss of control and disruption. But what triggers these feelings? Over the years, we have identified five main triggers for resistance.
1. People feel their future security could be threatened
2. They will be negatively impacted financially
3. People’s work relationships change
4. Changes are made to their levels of responsibility
5. The learning curve for the new role is too steep
Managing these triggers
Let’s be clear some of this is out of your control as change agents. Sometimes all that any of us can do is to minimise the damage.
1. People feel their future security could be threatened
Once people feel that they could lose their jobs then there’s not much you can do to reduce their fear and uncertainty. Even if they wanted to leave their pride and sense of self worth is hit. So if it’s not true, tell people as soon as possible. If it’s true then tell people as soon as you know about the threat. Leaving it to the last minute only makes the situation worse. In the medium-term, you can encourage people to see the advantages of sustained performance as a source of control over this change and future events. Being able to function even through uncertainty gives people more control over their future.
2. They will be negatively impacted financially
Another tough trigger to deal with. It is becoming more common for organisations to try and reduce employees compensation rather than making lay-offs. The idea is that key staff will be in place and ready for any upturn in the economy. Four day weeks, unpaid sabbaticals and straight pay cuts are all being used to reduce costs and avoid layoffs. The only action you can take is to explain the reasons, tell them what amends you might be able to make, for example through future enhanced bonuses and give them space to take it all in and make a decision about what they want to do.
3. People’s work relationships change
This happens all the time in change. It’s not restricted to the current situation. People value their personal relationships whether at work or socially. They don’t like those being disrupted. Steps you can take include: discussing how the change will support old and new social relationships; being careful to identify where old relationships may break down and how you might be able to compensate for that. For example, keeping people in the same building, try and set up new social events and forums to place people in contact with new people, and accelerate building the new relationships required.
4. Changes are made to their levels of responsibility
Organisations constantly break-up and reform. It’s the way of how modern businesses function particularly in the Anglo-American business model. This often means that not only do work relationships change but people can change responsibilities often. Steps you can take include: being clear about their new responsibilities; emphasising the responsibilities they have for the change implementation; identifying common, over-arching goals and lastly looking for rewards that will tell people they are important e.g. special lunches, small gifts or public praise from senior executives.
5. The learning curve for the new role is too steep
One of the great writers on change and culture is Ed Schein. Schein talks very compellingly about the anxiety learning creates during change and the way that if people become too anxious they will attempt to revert to the status quo. Key steps include: involving key people in identifying the approach and providers of training; ensuring key people pilot and evaluate the training; confirming that support will be provided for skills development after the training and considering a temporary adjustment to appraisal systems to reflect the required learning time to achieve competence and results.
In conclusion
“Bossnapping” really makes you think about how far resistance could go. However, resistance is an inevitable companion of major change and so we have to learn to mitigate its causes and then help people adapt. Hopefully this article helped you think through some of the proactive actions you could take as a change agent to achieve this.
Agents of Change
This is the fifth in the series that will feature change executives sharing their experience with you.
Pierre Vennekens, Programme and Process Office Manager, AGFA
What are the 3-5 most important pieces of advice you would give other change agents for them to be successful?
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Get your act together – get the basics in place eg find out what the scope is, who are the key stakeholders/sponsors, who else is involved, why are we doing this, what is the end state;
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Be sure to integrate your PCI plans with the overall project plan – don’t allow it to be side-lined or you run the risk of falling off the agenda;
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Don’t despair! Change takes time; resistance is normal, no pain, no gain!
What are the key issues you will be working on in 2009?
The main challenge in 2009 with PCI management will be to increase or at least keep the same level of organisational change capacity within an environment of increasing change demand initiatives.
The Life of Pierre Vennekens:
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Current job – Programme & Process Office Manager
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Status – Married with 2 children – Nele a daughter, and Johan his son and they are 18 & 19
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Lives – In a small city south of Antwerp – Hove
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University – Studied Civil Engineering and Electro-mechanics at Leuven near Brussels
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First job – Project Manager in an engineering project for Agfa. Pierre has started and hopes to end his career with Agfa!
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Favourite Business Book – Theory of Constraint or The 7 Habits of Effective Leadership, by Stephen R, Covey. The latter is a very good book for life as well as work
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Favourite Business Gadget – Doesn’t really have gadgets apart from his mobile phone
ww.changefirst.com
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