In the previous post, we covered the basic questions an organization must ask themselves as a structure before starting a change initiative to ensure that all vast areas are covered. What was missing in this first part was the people’s perspective. After all, an organization may declare that the changes are for growth, re-positioning, and better expense and profit allocation. However, in the heart of all these demands, there is one element that everything circles– the people. Managing them during the change is crucial for the direction of the change initiatives. Still, that does not mean that people must be treated like small children, but working closely with them can ensure a smoother organizational transition and change. Here are five questions that organizational change must answer about the people side of the shift before executing it.
What fears might people have about the change?
This one is still in the guessing area, but predicting the greatest fear of the people involved in or affected by the change is a good ground for the company to develop scenarios and prepare for different outcomes. Predictive analytics is not new, although we have talked about it in the last fifteen years. Asking this question is the starting point to build the variety of cases and set of reactions that can allow the change to happen in the best possible way and, at the same time, keep people not only involved in the short run but internally engaged and motivated to continue after the change.
How much resistance is anticipated? From whom?
One of the most important things to consider when planning for change is the level of resistance and the source of this resistance. People do not naturally accept new things. In their nature, the feeling of being safe is much stronger than the one for dealing with challenges. While searching for safety, most people resist change on the internal level. Some may stay within internal resistance, while others may externalize that feeling into exempt direct actions. Identifying these buckets of resistance helps deal with them more smoothly and constructively. Leaving them to grow may not only endanger the change initiative but also create damage in the long run.
How will a temporary drop in productivity be dealt with that may result from the change?
Every planned or unplanned change may cause severe disturbance in an already established system. Recognizing the bucket of resistance and the type of challenges that may arise, the company may be in a better position to manage the change, but still, employees are not robots. They need time to adapt, and their performance and results may suffer during the adaptation period. They know that analyzing the weak points in the change may help the change organizer and the organization to create a contingency plan for moving forward after the change is initiated, with less damage to performance. At the same time, identifying performance gaps in advance may help significantly in balancing performance and planning for further growth after the change initiative ends.
What type of benchmarks can prove that the change initiative was successful?
Every change initiative starts with the intent to do something good for the organization. It may succeed in a technical, process, or even structural way. But those who are mostly affected – the people – need more than that. While inconsistent with the change, many employees may not see its positive aspects. To sustain the change initiative and prove to people that results are positive, the organization must present results before and after. These benchmarks need to come from both – internal and external environments. While the external environment shows signs of improvement quickly in the face of profit, customer satisfaction, etc., the internal environment in the organization may need more time. Internal benchmarking may be closed in process improvements, higher results with less effort, smaller steps in an already established process, and less overtime. They need time to show results, but establishing that internal benchmark basis upsells the change initiative more quickly to those who need to participate or live with the results.
How will external interests and needs be considered during the planning and implementation of the change?
Each organization’s change initiative may be different in form and size, but it looks the same in its heart – something must change to create space for something better. The change agents face obstacles of different types and forms in trying to make the change happen. Some may be related to resources, but the most challenging remains the balance the change agent must create between their agenda and the external interests of stakeholders and involved parties. Finding that balance and maintaining it through time can win or lose the change agenda. The better the managing part is done, the more balanced the relationship is and the greater the final results are.
IN CONCLUSION:
Getting a change right to create value-adding results that are sustainable in time is not new. However, learning to do it means getting the organization’s perspective and considering the right people’s questions to enable the change with minimum stress and maximum results. Did you ask yourself the people questions before the last change you implemented?
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