We live in a world that is in a constant, often confusing, state of change. Global events bombard us in the media – shifts in political landscapes everywhere, threats to international alliances, environmental disasters and a revolving shift in economic power players. It’s a lot to take in.
While we may be informed about what is happening around us, we really don’t have enough information to understand why these events unfold as they do. There are always more questions than answers which can leave us feeling powerless, frustrated and angry. It’s not a comfortable place to stay – psychologically and emotionally – and it definitely doesn’t help us to feel safe.
When we take this concept into the world of work, the emotional elements are the same. Let’s assume most employees expect and accept that their work environment will evolve, in big ways and small ones. Some people have a relatively easy time adjusting to new things; others take a bit longer to get there and some just never arrive. They simply can’t keep up with all the changes.
People have a tolerance level for how much organizational change they can handle before they start to feel unsafe. In all cases this threshold is far, far lower than what is typically asked of them.
There is an important distinction between change and transition from a human perspective. Change is an action or event that happens externally. Transition is the acceptance and adoption of the new way of doing or being; it is an internal process and it takes much longer.
Employees tend to see major organizational change as something they have little to no influence on. On the other hand, they know that making a successful transition is very much within their control – they have a choice about getting on board.
Too often leaders fail to understand the difference, or they choose to ignore it. They don’t realize that without employee buy-in up front far more time and energy will be spent managing the pockets of human resistance that delay expected outcomes.
People can only take so much change before they dig in their heels and push back. The full cost of resistance is often intangible but indicators are always there if someone is paying attention. The best laid business plans will not build organizational resilience if the impact of continual change on the employees is not taken into consideration.
A basic first step to managing the human side of change is to explain to employees in advance the business rationale for specific changes, then invite their input, listen to their concerns and answer their questions. Respectfully acknowledging people’s needs during transition offers a much better chance of getting their support. At the very least, understanding any resistance can help in managing it appropriately.
Under conditions of relentless change employees can feel threatened and vulnerable. To ease that discomfort they need leaders who talk to them honestly about what is going on, who show sincere concern for how pending changes will impact them. That kind of leadership approach encourages trust and cooperation rather than resistance to the inevitable. It also fosters an atmosphere of safety which can be a precious refuge from the world around us.
Written by Laurie Mills. Originally published in the Kelowna Capital News, 2009.