In organisations today, change is unavoidable.
Likewise, resistance to change is unavoidable. In fact, if you aren’t changing (or you’re deliberately or subconsciously avoiding change), then you could be in trouble. But successful change is something that’s definitely easier said than done. There are many roadblocks that can get in the way of you leading and implementing change in your organisation. In this article, I’m going to walk you through some of the most common roadblocks I’ve encountered and give you some solutions and communication tips for tackling them.
Roadblock #1: You’ve got the wrong change mindset
More often than not, having the wrong change mindset is articulated with the phrase ‘We aren’t ready to change’. This is often the result of a feeling you have that you’re too busy or too successful to be implementing change and you’re better off to simply get on with the job.
Unfortunately change avoidance isn’t a sustainable strategy nor necessarily a good thing. So how do you go about changing your mindset?
Solution: Focus on your response to change.
If you’re familiar with the terms ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ when it comes to mindset, you might think the solution to this roadblock is to help your people develop a growth mindset. One problem with applying this distinction is that because having a fixed mindset (seen as resistance to change) is considered bad and having a growth mindset is considered good, we have a habit of tricking ourselves into thinking we have a growth mindset, even when we don’t.
What’s more important than focusing on whether you have a growth or fixed mindset is to work on developing a future mindset that is oriented towards outcomes. When you do this, you’ll find that you naturally move towards the type of goal-oriented behaviours that successful change requires. You will see the shift from ‘resistance to change’, ‘my role in change’ to ‘our future together’.
Communication tips
Here’s an example of how to do this. As a team, discuss the difference between fixed, growth and future mindset and watch the team shift. Some will shift from a fixed to growth mind set and others will shift from a growth to future mindset. Explore the challenges together. Be respectful of each other’s differences, and the pace with which they adopt change. If you are currently saying to yourself, ‘Change is happening to me – others lead it,’ you need to change your thinking to ‘I’m leading my change journey.’ And this brings me to the second roadblock.
Roadblock #2: Failure to lead
Even when we know change needs to happen, organisations can find that nobody wants to take the lead when it comes to actually taking the required action. In particular, middle managers have a habit of abdicating ownership when they perceive there is no support from higher up. Who can blame them? A solo journey is tough.
Solution: It’s time for you to lead.
The key to solving a lack of ownership is to recognise that leadership occurs at many levels throughout an organisation. Leadership is also significantly different to management and ownership doesn’t have to occur at the highest levels of your organisation.
True change leadership comes not from an organisation but from individuals who are willing and capable of leading change. If you communicate responsibilities and expectations around change, as well as the leadership process and overall expectations early and clearly, then you’ll start to combat the organisational culture that creates a failure to lead.
Communication tips
Here’s an example of how to do this. If your organisation is dictating change, ‘You will do this by 17 December,’ you may enjoy the benefits of engaging your people, giving them some control and ownership. ‘This change needs to happen and here’s why’. Provide details to minimise resistance to change. ‘We would like to understand the different views of the proposed change and its impacts on your team. We welcome your suggestions.’ Furthermore, give them the ability to lead the change within their teams. Magic just might happen.
Roadblock #3: Change blockers
No matter what industry you’re in, there will always be people in an organisation that are resistant to change. These are the cynics, the people who believe that if it’s not broken you shouldn’t fix it and those who like things to stay the same because change can be make people feel uncomfortable, uncertain and in some cases terrified. Some of these people in turn become ‘change blockers’. When you have a change blocker in your team, it creates a barrier to change, and can jeopardise the feelings and actions of other team members.
Solution: Communicate the why
One of the things I see all the time in organisations managing change is that communication is focused on the what and the how. Alone, this isn’t enough to convince change blockers of the reasons that change is actually a positive thing. You need to focus on communicating the what, the how and the ‘why’ of the change you’re looking to implement if you have any hope of getting buy-in.
The last 18 months has seen a fundamental shift in the organisational view of change. Change use to be an event that we put a team on to. We need to shift our thinking. We need to create a culture where change is not viewed as an event, but instead as an ongoing state of existence. Training your people to be positive in the face of change is fundamental to preventing change blockers from sabotaging change within your team.
Remember that organisational leaders are not immune to being change blockers or resistance to change. This can present as a view that communication is not an essential part of change, with those appointed to lead not feeling the need to support the change and/or to engage their team. Consider this form of self-sabotage for a moment: could you be the change blocker in your organisation? If so, how can you shift your view?
Communication Tip:
Ask yourself, ‘Am I a change blocker, resister or enabler?’ Even as an enabler you may looking at change from your perspective without taking into consideration the needs of others. Mindset could be the perfect place to start (see Roadblock #1).
Whatever roadblocks you experience to change, successful communication is fundamental.
We are all change leaders. We may operate at different speeds, however we all need to make clear conscious decisions about how we respond to change. There is a need to open communication channels and space to have these discussions as we go. Not as an afterthought. This is how you deliver successful change. Communication is everything.