Tip of the Week: How to Create Better Responses to Shifts in Business
We call it “moving your cheese” and many people don’t like it. Change can be surprisingly controversial in the office environment, especially when you’re referring to technology or business practices. Management might think that one thing is great, but the rest of the staff might not have the same opinion, leading to friction between them. Where does resistance to change come from, and how can you overcome it?
Why Are We So Resistant to Change?
There are several reasons why people might be resistant to change, to the point where they may openly protest any changes in policy or procedure.
Lack of Confidence or Trust
If you have no experience with something (think Windows 10, when you love Windows 7), chances are your reaction to this change would be lukewarm at best. People don’t like to embrace change if it’s something they are unfamiliar with, especially when it comes to new, complicated, and seemingly unnecessary technology solutions. They might grow to resent the change, or even the person instigating the change.
Failure Aversion
If people aren’t confident in their ability to learn the new technology, they might try to shield themselves from failure by refusing to use it entirely. Essentially, what happens is that the anticipated failure makes them avoid it altogether, making the shift to this new solution borderline impossible. This type of resistance is best resolved by encouraging the user to utilize the new technology so they can build their confidence in it.
Communication Issues
There’s the old adage that “too many cooks spoil the soup”, but you can’t base every decision on a poll of the entire company. That said, if changes are implemented without getting feedback from staff or other stakeholders, they will naturally feel uninvolved in the process and thus less likely to jump on board with the change. If you can show that the new solution will actually make their jobs easier or better, your staff might be more receptive to the change.
How to Create a Better Response to Changes
While you can’t avoid change, you can embrace it and encourage your employees to do the same. Here are some ways you can help them accept change.
Keep Communication Open
As we mentioned previously, communication is key when implementing any change in your business. If you can explain the changes and the benefits they bring, you enable feedback – a critical component in making your employees feel heard and understood. This also keeps them engaged in the process and involved in the business’ greater operations.
Show Your Team the Benefits
It’s one thing to tell your team what benefits a new solution brings, but another entirely to show them how it makes their lives easier. If you can show off the great benefits or features of a new technology solution, as well as how it improves their current situations, your team might be more eager to embrace the solution.
Time It Correctly
If you spring a bunch of major changes on your staff all at once, they will be more likely to push back. Be sure to pace your changes and allow your team to adjust to them as needed before proceeding with the implementation of other solutions.
Support Team Members Through the Transition Process
You also must give your team a way to discuss the solution and be patient with them throughout the transition process. There will be issues that pop up, no matter how well-planned it might be, so plan accordingly and be ready to address and understand frustrations.
Of course, with IT, change is going to happen whether your team likes it or not. Putting these tips into practice will help you make sure any new project implementation is a successful one. To learn more about how you can seamlessly transition to any new solution, reach out to Ashton Solutions at 216 397-4080.
