Читать книгу Dealing with Difficult People - David Brown, David Brown - Страница 10

Unless they are helping to shape it, people usually resist change. Sometimes this is because they resent a new situation being ‘sold’ to them, and sometimes it is because of what they think they will lose or leave behind. Good management can ease the transition.

When helping organizations manage change, I seek to show people that change is inevitable because of the way that the world around us is changing – standing still is not an option. Changes around any business demand changes within that business for it to survive.

With individuals, though, it is difficult for most of us to change our behaviour – even when we want to in order to lose weight, for example, or give up smoking. Most of us have an inbuilt resistance to change, and, in busines, this often results in a serious drop in performance. This is summed up in a well-known model called the Change Curve. However, this dip in performance and the duration of the ‘curve’ can be lessened through good management. Remember, change is not

case study I was involved in a takeover that resulted in strike action before the two companies joined forces. Staff in one of the businesses were afraid of the merger because their business had been performing badly.

“Change is the only certainty in life”

Henry A. Wallace, US Vice President 1941-5

only about where people are going: it’s what people think they are losing that leads to the most resistance. So to manage transition successfully, you and your organization should do the following:

• Share your vision. Communicate on a regular basis about where you are going and why. Start with the end in mind.

• Respect the past. Don’t expect people to leap from the present straight to your version of the future. Check that people understand what is being asked of them; that they are ready to move; that they are capable of making the change; that progress can be monitored and the right support given.

• Consult people. Involve them in what you seek to do.

• Show people what’s in it for them. Appeal to their emotions as much as their logic.

• Check for ‘buy in’. Where are people on the Change Curve? Seek out negative feelings behind any negative action.

• Pull together. Agree realistic SMART targets (see Secret 5.3).

• The Six ‘R’s. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce. Review, review, review.

If you are to bring about successful change, study the change process.

They were, in fact, highly regarded by the incoming management team, but were unaware of this as insufficient information had been shared with them. The steps outlined above would have avoided the problem.