While senior management may mandate change, generally its implementation will be up to you and your staff. If so, involve your employees in the decision making. Try to get as many of them involved as possible. This will encourage buy-in to the change.
Even after all these efforts, you may still find some people are opposed to the change. They will need special attention. If their opposition is very strong, consider one-on-one meetings with each in which you point up why staff support is important. During such meetings, it may help if you adapt your communication style, communicating with each person the way he or she needs to be communicated with; that is, each of us has a dominant communication style, and often we can win people over to our way of thinking if we adapt our communications to their style.
There are four dominant communication styles: (1) activator, (2) analyzer, (3) affiliator, and (4) conceptualizer. We all practice each of these, but we generally have one dominant style. The analyzer style places a high value on facts, figures, data, and rational thinking. On the other hand, a conceptualizer is known for placing a high value on ideas. The activator is someone who is focused on the present and isn’t interested in talk of future opportunities. This person has lots of drive and gets things done but often seems impulsive, acting before thinking. The fourth and final communication style, affiliation, places a high value on personal relationships and interpersonal contacts. Someone who is primarily an affiliator is warm and understanding but may also be defensive or thin-skinned, very emotional or moody, and easily swayed.
So, for analyzers, you might say, “Let me walk you through this proposal, step by step. . . .” or, “Let’s look at this in a logical, systematic way. . . .” To an affiliator, you might offer, “Let’s get reacquainted again, before we get down to business. . . .” or, “Why don’t we talk about it over lunch. . . .” or, “It would be
helpful to get you involved in this from the very first stage.”
In persuading a conceptualizer, you might open the discussion by saying, “I have a unique approach for you—something that has never been tried before. . . .” or, “This will pay off in the long term. . . .” or, “Let me begin by giving you an overview of the key concepts involved.” Activators are best approached with, “We can get on it right away. . . .” or, along the same lines, “Suppose I skip the details and just hit the highlights,” or you might try, “We tried to select the most practical approach. . . . What do you think?”
If ringleaders of the opposition emerge, confront them and seek to alter their attitude. If they won’t give their support and, worse, if you discover that they are behind pernicious rumors about the change or otherwise negatively impacting the staff’s morale, you may want to transfer them to another department or even consider termination.
The Transition
Be mindful that you will be watched carefully by your staff members to gauge your own view of the change. If they see you continue to support the plan, they are more likely to be supportive as well. Not all, however, will be sold.
You may still have to answer further questions. If rumors arise, address them. Make it easy for employees to ask questions by being accessible. Develop an attitude that resistance is neither good nor bad. In fact, questions can offer opportunities to improve the change’s implementation.
If job security will not be influenced—and you know that for sure—reassure your employees. If bad news is associated with the change, let them know that, too. Honest, open communication isn’t only about good news.
As companies that restructured during the early 1990s quickly learned, employee job performance was more severely impacted if employees didn’t know the state of their future employment than if they did. If some of your workers will no longer have jobs as a result of the change, and you can forewarn them, do so. Together, you may find a way for them to stay with the organization. If that’s impossible, you may be able to assist them to find a new job when they are let go.