Reprinted from the July 1, 2005 issue of MANAGER’S LEGAL BULLETIN, a widely read employment law newsletter that communicates legal guidelines to managers through real-life dialogue and concrete examples. Click here to view a sample issue, get more information or sign up for a risk-free subscription.

Change Happens...Help Employees Embrace It!

The fear of change often results in employees refusing to accept the change, or at least begrudgingly accepting it. Either way, these resistant employees can prevent a change from making its full positive impact. Find out some of the different reasons why employees fear change and how you can help them to accept workplace change more readily.

Resistance: Lack of control over the change.

Due to a corporate reorganization, Jeremy Lake’s department was folded into another one. This resulted in Lake having to work with a bigger team and to report to manager Morgan Steele. Lake has never worked with Steele before.

Action: Steele needs to try and gain his trust. Empathy will come in handy. Steele should explain that she understands and shares Lake’s feelings of uncertainty and emphasize that they will be making the transition together. She should keep her door open and be available to discuss any concerns that Lake may have.

Resistance: Lake doesn’t understand why the change was necessary.

“I don’t understand why my department had to be folded into your department. Having to work with a bigger team will slow down the process,” said Lake.

“The reorganization will actually help increase our efficiency,” Steel responded.

Action: Steele needs to explain why the change was made. She has taken a good first step in pointing out a positive result of the change. Another step should also involve Lake in the implementation of the change, if appropriate. For example, Steele can solicit his input for implementing new procedures for the expanded department.

Resistance: The “old” way worked before.

Steele observed that Lake was using the software he had used in his old department, rather than switching to the software her department uses.

Action: Steele should explain to Lake why he should make the switch, rather than just ordering him to do it. She should also acknowledge the value of the skills he honed in his old department and explain why the software switch will enable him to continue to be successful at his job.

Resistance: Lake lacks the confidence to make the software change.

Lake is getting frustrated because he is having difficulty working with the new software; he was much more efficient using the old program. He feels like he will never understand the software, so why bother.

Action: Lake needs training. Steele also needs to assure him that she understands that change doesn’t happen overnight, and that she has confidence in him. She should commit to working with and supporting Lake through the change.

Resistance: Lake can’t see how the benefits of the change outweigh the negatives.

As Lake is learning the new software program, his productivity has been hampered. It doesn’t make sense to him why he can’t stick with the old software, with which he can produce more work than he is now.

Action: Steele needs to point out the benefits of getting up to speed on the new software. She can tell Lake that the lowered output that accompanies the learning curve is a small price to pay for enhancing skills that could lead to advancement opportunities for him.

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