Overcoming Resistance to Change

Ways of overcoming resistance to change:

Education and Communication:

The starting point for successful change is to communicate effectively the reasons why change is needed
Honest communication about the issues and the proposed action helps people see the logic of change
Effective education helps address misconceptions about the change, including misinformation or inaccuracies
Education and communication are unlikely to be successful in the short term. They need to be delivered consistently and over a long period for maximum impact

Participation and Involvement:

Involvement in a change programme can be an effective way of bringing "on-board" people who would otherwise resist
Effective participation often leads to commitment, not just compliance A common issue in any change programme is just how much involvement should be permitted.
Delays and obstacles need to be avoided

Facilitation and Support:

Kotter & Schlesinger identified what they called "adjustment problems" during change
Some people will need support to help cope with change
Might include training, counselling and mentoring as well as simply listening to the concerns of people affected
If fear and anxiety are causing resistance to change, then facilitation and support is particularly important

Manipulation and Co-Option:

Co-option involves bringing specific individuals into roles that are part of change management (perhaps managers who are likely to be otherwise resistant to change)
Manipulation involves the selective use of information to encourage people to behave in a particular way
Whilst the use of manipulation might be seen as unethical, it might be the only option if other methods of overcoming resistance to change prove ineffective

Negotiation and Bargaining:

The idea here is to give people who resist an incentive to change - or leave
The negotiation and bargaining might involve offering better financial rewards for those who accept the requirements of the change programme
Alternatively, enhanced rewards for leaving might also be offered
This approach is commonly used when a business needs to restructure the organisation (e.g. by delayering)

Explicit and Implicit Coercion:

This approach is very much the "last resort" if other methods of overcoming resistance to change fail
Explicit coercion involves people being told exactly what the implications of resisting change will be
Implicit coercion involves suggesting the likely negative consequences for the business of failing to change, without making explicit threats
The big issue with using coercion is that it almost inevitably damages trust between people in a business and can lead to damaged morale (in the short-term)