Change Management Addressing Resistance to Change

Georgia TechMarch 12, 2013

Debbie Brown, SPHR, MBA, MSW

Change is a Constant in All Organizations

Objectives

• Change Management• Identify and Discuss Some Typical Change

Scenarios in Organizations• Communicating Change: The Good, the Bad &

the Ugly• Identifying & Addressing Resistance to Change

• In organizations and individuals

• Implications for Middle Managers

Change

Change: “To make different in some particular”*

Organizations launch projects and initiatives to improve performance and reach a better future state.

*Merriman-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

Change Management

When a project’s results and outcomes depend on individuals adopting and using a solution.

Some Changes

New Product

New Service

New Leadership

New Technology

Employee Terminations

M&A

New Culture

Reorganization

Early Retirement Packages

Employee Lay-Offs

Resistance Management

Resistance Prevention

Proactive Resistance Management

Reactive Management

Resistance Prevention

• Engagement – building coalitions• Establishing clear, targeted communications• Developing the communication plan• Enabling managers • Provide training• Envisioning how the change management plan

fits with the project plan

Communication: Having the Right Conversation

The right conversation focuses on outcomes – achieving project and organizational success

How to Communicate

• Blog• Text/Email blasts• Other written form• YouTube• Phone Calls• Meetings• Video conferences • Legal Counsel

Why Communicate?

In the absence of information, people create their own reality.

Over 50% of how a message is received comes from things other than the crafting of words.• 38% tone of voice• 7% actual words• 55% non-verbal including body language

Preferred Senders

Top Executive• Why this change?• How does this align with our vision and business

intent?

Immediate Supervisor• How will this affect my daily responsibilities?• What’s in it for me and/or my group?

Receiving the Message

Listening

Receiving the Message- First Time

Listening Most employees only hear a fraction of what

was said the first time.

Interpretation What the sender says rarely matches what the

employees hear the first time.

Interpretation of Message• “How will this impact me?”• “What’s in it for me?”• Past experience• What they hear from colleagues• Their job performance• Their trust in the sender• Age• Health• Financial security• Family concerns

Proactive Resistance Management

• Anticipate skepticism

• People invested in status quo

• Group who advocated for Plan A when Plan B is selected

• Lay-offs or staff reductions affect everyone

Reactive Resistance Management

• Identify the root cause of the resistance

• Listening

• Offering clear choices and consequences

• Showing benefits of change

• Removing resistant individual

Resistance• Defenses: denial, anger, bargaining, depression acceptance

It’s not good or bad, right or wrongIt just is

• Defenses: projection rationalization• Change saturation.. fatigue, burnout, automatic

resistance• Personality Style• Change in Personal Life

Reorganization of Non-Profit

• Technology Change • IT Department

• Change in Leadership• Change in the Way Service is Delivered• Reorganizing Communications & Advancement• Early Retirement Program• Reviewing every job and everyone in those jobs

for the best fit• Supervisors not trained in change management

Reorganization • Got rid of those not on board with change• Got rid of those who don’t fit new job

requirements• Got rid of those without the correct skills

Issues with Employee Separations

• Low morale with remaining employees• Rumors/uncertainty• Competition for jobs• Retaining key talent

Implications for Managers

• Know ThyselfYour stress levelHow you deal with changeYour own resistanceYour personality

• Get Yourself On-Board – work through your own frustrations before meeting with your staff

• We are in this Together• It’s about Relationships

Implications for Managers

• Address resistance directly

• Listen for underlying Issues

• Communicate change as necessary to viability of the organization

• Focus on relationships – Get to know your people

• We are in this together

Do This Not This• Ignore signs of

resistance• Take whatever is said

at face value• Neglect to make it a

business issue• Neglect your

relationships• You figure it out

Communicating The Future

D&B Consulting, Inc.

Executive CoachingTeam Building

Leadership DevelopmentCareer Transitions & Outplacement

Thank you!

Debbie Brown, SPHR, MBA

Debbie@DandBconsulting.com www.DandBconsulting.com

404.504.7079