{"id":21732,"date":"2018-05-31T05:07:56","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T11:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/corevalues.com\/?p=21732"},"modified":"2018-05-31T05:07:56","modified_gmt":"2018-05-31T11:07:56","slug":"engage-employees-championing-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corevalues.com\/dev\/2018\/05\/31\/engage-employees-championing-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Engage Your Employees to Champion Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"workplace<\/a>Workplace change is inevitable. As a species, however, humans tend to resist change. They will \u00a0even sabotage initiatives on certain occasions.<\/p>\n

During times of necessary change, like during a merger or recession, this could mean the end of your organization entirely. If employees aren\u2019t willing to get with the program, your entire operation may not withstand the changing work environment. As a result, your organization won\u2019t be able to compete with other organizations that are innovative and adaptable to the new environment.<\/p>\n

Despite the reason for the changing environment, one thing is certain: your employees are your biggest asset. They will make the change happen if they are committed and engaged. This means they understand the vision and are involved in the execution process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Strategies for catalyzing change<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The following strategies provide leaders with actionable steps to get team members on board to execute successful change initiatives.<\/p>\n

Take a short pause<\/h3>\n

During times of change, it\u2019s natural for leaders and team members to resist it. Frequently the \u201cget it done\u201d people will react to the situation immediately. The best thing everyone can do, however, is to wait and gather more information.<\/p>\n

The situation likely arose quickly. \u201cGet it done\u201d people instinctively follow their gut and make quick, reactionary decisions. These decisions likely won\u2019t get to the heart of the situation. \u00a0It\u2019s more important to make the right decisions, which comes after carefully assessing the situation followed by creating an implementation plan.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also natural to want to make decisions on your own. However, when other people who also are impacted by the situation are recruited to the team, a system-wide solution can be developed.<\/p>\n

Surround yourself with co-workers who are trustworthy and knowledgeable. Take steps to ensure that they can be impartial and unbiased. An internal team will know what exactly you\u2019re dealing with. By adding external team members, perhaps blind spots can also be brought to light and not missed.<\/p>\n

Address resistance head-on<\/h3>\n

Any change will be initially met with resistance. This is because lack of understanding is involved. In the book, Working Together (Barrett Koehler 2003)<\/span><\/a>, Dianne Crampton introduced a formula for overcoming conflict, which change resistance is a form of.<\/p>\n

The formula is:\u00a0 3rd Culture (Business Relationship) = (Understanding X Rate of Integration) \/ Conflict<\/p>\n

A business is essentially a relationship composed of leaders and employees who have come together to accomplish work.\u00a0 The relationship is impacted by conflict, which can be change, opposing ideas, misunderstandings and mistakes.\u00a0 Conflict is reduced by understanding and how quickly that understanding can be integrated.\u00a0 If understanding does not emerge and is not integrated the business relationship suffers because of change resistance.<\/p>\n

Therefore, change-resistance must be met head-on and in ways that improve understanding. \u00a0In order for any initiative to be successful, you need to get your employees on-board as quickly as possible. It must make sense. It also needs to include a future vision of how work-life will improve once the change is normalized.<\/p>\n

This means that a catalytic change event needs to inspire vision and harness imagination. It must also \u00a0enhance cooperative group processes by improving working relationships while minimizing uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Leaders can encourage employees to champion change through five components:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A process for defining behaviors that build cooperation<\/span><\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. A way to monitor the effectiveness of the group\u2019s progress.<\/li>\n
  3. An empowerment-based Action Plan that includes insights from employees.<\/li>\n
  4. A process for monitoring milestones and reporting the results.<\/li>\n
  5. A process for recognizing teams that cooperate with one another and teams that achieve success milestones so that employees experience early successes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Without first getting your employees on-board by increasing their understanding and showing them how to integrate it, change will be resisted.\u00a0 It slows progress. \u00a0It also weakens the business and business relationships.<\/p>\n

    Reward your champions<\/h3>\n

    Once your organization has identified change-initiatives, reward your champions. To promote a strong culture, it\u2019s important to focus on your company\u2019s core values and those employees that demonstrate them.<\/p>\n

    During change, double down on your company\u2019s values because employees want to know that they work for a higher ideal than just making money. People may define values differently.\u00a0 As a company, clarify your core values to ensure everyone has the same understanding of what you view as important. Then, take the time to recognize and acknowledge team members who put those values into action. That way, others will see what values in action look like and will be encouraged to demonstrate those values as well.<\/p>\n

    The bottom line<\/h3>\n

    Humans are creatures of habit, and change can be hard for anyone to handle. This is especially true when it is sudden or unexpected but necessary. \u00a0In order to survive the ever-changing work environment, organizations must be innovative and adaptive in order to keep up.<\/p>\n

    To ensure your change strategy is successful, get your employees on-board. With understanding, employees can become excited for the process. Likewise, employees do better when they feel as if they have some control over the situation in order to be successful. That means knowing how and why change is happening.<\/p>\n

    Some strategies for catalyzing change include:<\/p>\n