In Part 2 of this series, we discuss the challenges of bringing change to an organization and how to overcome them. Part 1 discusses the resistance and ignorance factors and makes some suggestions on tackling these issues. In part 2, we will discuss the involvement of negativity and it's harmful effects to sensitive topics. Change management can be a slow and rigorous process which involves a high amount of emotions as well as people management. It takes tact, patience and perseverance. The most difficult form or rejection of change is negativity.
Negativity and backlash is a direct action that goes beyond ignorance and denial. It is outright acknowledgment that the change will not be accepted and there is no fear of voicing this. Confrontation is rare and it is not without its negative impact. This strategy, when used correctly by the initiator, can cause tremendous roll back in progress and plant seeds of doubts in those who sit on the fence. A few techniques to try:
- Tackle the negativity one-on-one. There’s no point in fighting fire with fire in a public, and potentially hazardous, situation. This is not to say that you’re going to take on this fight head-on, but rather understand where the negative sentiment is coming from. This task will require patience, open ears and time.
- Be brave. Aside from tackling the negativity one-on-one, tackle the negativity face-to-face. Sitting down to talk about it is far more productive than sending an email or leaving a voicemail. The idea is to reduce barriers to communication and ensure there is effective, direct and clear communication from both ends. In addition, face-to-face interaction will drive both point-of-views home faster and further. Doing it face to face with your least supportive team member or colleague is not easy – this is why you have to be brave, think positive, write down points to support your arguments and yet bring an open ear to listen to theirs. These types of meetings require preparation.
- Remove emotional connections. The negativity is not directly aimed at a person, but for people in general, it’s just easier to point a finger and cast blame. It is rare that just one person is accountable for change management; it is usually an executive mandate where a number of executives have agreed upon it. However, for the person responsible to initiate the change and the project management of this project, it can difficult for them. Remove any emotional connection to the project. The resistance is not a personal attack, but rather a rejection of a process. When things get heated, it’s difficult to separate the emotions from results – but to maintain your sanity, it’s something to remember.
There is no quick fix for the challenges that come with change management. Only the bravest and the ones with the most perseverance are able to tackle change management activities with success and sanity. These types of exercises will test your negotiation skills, creativity and tactical ability. A good approach is to first tackle change management technically. This means building a strong and solid change management plan and having a good communications plan to roll out this change management. Once the theoretical foundation is in place, next is to tackle the softer side of change – the people. Having a game plan for people management is also the key to ensuring success and of course, following some of the mentioned techniques. And lastly, it is important to document progress, no matter how small. These mini milestones are achievements and hopefully, collectively, they eventually add up to a finalized project.
A few good references:
Frameworks for Change Management
Best Practices of Project Management