How to Overcome Resistance to Change With These Strategies
Change
is fixed in our life, and change is a fundamental process for organizations and
managers. No one can ignore the change because it stays with us, whether in our
personal or professional life (Robbins et al., 2018).
Overcoming Resistance to Change within Your Organization With These Strategies
Resistance to change in employees within the organization?
I
had an experience in resistance when my organization made an internal change in
the work system (from physical classes to online classes) which required us to
build new policies and procedures (workflow), new equipment (computers, audio
& video tools, software and servers) and changing in our attitudes (deal
with students, attendance, teaching techniques and, monitoring exams). (Palmer
et al., 2017) Therefore, that change forced us to leave the comfortable and
stable environment we had been using and familiar with for years. Thus, this
change was opposed by the majority of the stockholders (teachers, students, and
parents) for some reasons, such as unclear instruction, uncertain results, and
fear of failure.
Overcome the resistance to change?
According
to Kurt Lewin, successful change can be planned and requires unfreezing the
status, changing to a new status, and refreezing to make a permanent change
(Robbins et al., 2018). To illustrate how the organization dealt with the
resistance to change through the three stages of Lewin, in unfreezing stage, it
started by preparing for the needed change and decreasing resistance and
obstacles by providing new laptops and licensed software.
Training
sessions for the faculty members and students to be familiar with using the
technology, provide manuals and guidelines, and awareness seminars to clarify
the advantage of online learning follows the second stage, which is changing
stage. In this stage, we started implementing online teaching.
There
were some difficulties initially, but with practice and time, the stockholders
became more familiar with the new changes. It follows the last stage, which is
the refreezing stage. This stage represents the outcomes of implementing the
changes; since all parties are happy and satisfied, that change will be
sustained.
As
a result, that change was too fast in responding to the uncertain environment
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, my organization reacted and responded
effectively to satisfy the stockholders, and it was a distinguished success
story.
What are the types of resistance to change?
1.
The first type of resistance is passive resistance. This is when people do not
actively do anything to oppose the change, but they also do not do anything to
support it. They may be uncooperative or unresponsive, and they may withhold
their effort or commitment.
2.
The second type of resistance is active resistance. This is when people take
active steps to oppose the change. They may try to sabotage it, undermine it,
or block it. They may also spread negative information about it or try to
convince others to resist it.
3.
The third type of resistance is psychological resistance. This is when people
resist the change because they are afraid of it or they don’t understand it.
They may also resist because they are comfortable with the way things are and
don’t want to change. Psychological resistance can be overcome by providing
support and training to people so they feel more comfortable with the change.
4. Overcoming psychological resistance may require providing support and training to people so they feel more comfortable with the change. Change management efforts should focus on helping people understand why the change is necessary and how it will benefit them. It is also important to address any fears or concerns people may have about the change. By providing support and information, you can help people overcome their resistance to change and make the transition smoothly.
Additionally, there are other classifications of resistance to change psychological, sociological, and economic.
Psychological resistance to change is often caused by a fear
of the unknown or a fear of change itself. Sociological resistance to
change can be caused by a variety of factors, including a lack of trust in
those who are proposing the change, a fear of losing social status, or a fear
of disruption to one's way of life. Economic resistance to change is
often caused by a fear of losing money or a fear of increased costs.
Is resistance to change a good thing?
In some cases, yes. If a change is proposed
that will have negative consequences, it is good to have people who will resist
the change. But in other cases, resistance to change can be a bad thing. If a
change is proposed that would be beneficial, but people resist it, then the
change will not happen and the benefits will not be realized. This can be
frustrating and lead to a feeling of powerlessness.
How to Deal With Resistance to Change?
1. Define the change and its purpose.
Change management is the process of planning, implementing, and monitoring changes to a project or initiative. The purpose of change management is to ensure that changes are made in a controlled and safe manner and that the goals of the project or initiative are still met.
2. Get commitment from key stakeholders.
To ensure the success of any change management
initiative, it is essential to gain the commitment of key stakeholders. These
individuals or groups can provide essential support during the planning and
implementation phases of the project. Without their buy-in, the initiative is
likely to fail. There are a number of ways to gain stakeholder commitment. One
is to simply ask for their support. Another is to show them how the initiative
will benefit them personally or professionally. Finally, you can try to create
a sense of ownership by involving them in the planning process.
3. Manage the change process.
Keep the big picture in mind. When you're
working on a change management project, it's important to keep the big picture
in mind. What is the overall goal of the project? What are the specific steps
that need to be taken to get there? By keeping the big picture in mind, you can
ensure that everyone involved in the project is working toward the same goal.
4. Communicate the change.
Change is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be
disruptive. A well-run change management process will help to ensure that your
team is prepared for the changes ahead and that everyone is on the same page.
Clear and effective communication is key to a successful change management
process. Make sure that you keep your team updated on the changes that are
happening, and what the impact will be. Be prepared to answer questions and
address concerns. With a little planning and communication, you can help to
make change a smooth and positive experience for your team.
5. Monitor and adjust the change.
As the project progresses, keep an eye on the
change. Make sure that the change is being managed and that it is not getting
out of hand. If the change is getting out of hand, then take corrective action.
This may mean making more changes to the project, or it may mean reverting back
to the original plan. Once the change is under control, continue with the
project.
References
Robbins,
S. P., Coulter, M. K., Martocchio, J. J., & Long, L. K. (2018). Management.
Pearson.
Palmer,
I., Dunford, R., & Buchanan, D. A. (2017). Managing organizational change:
A multiple perspectives approach. Mcgraw-Hill.
Related Topics
Tips to MAXIMISE Your Business Productivity & Output!
How Leaders Stay Ahead in Digital Era - 6 Skills!
No comments:
Post a Comment