Change Management – Managing Internal Resistance

You are in the middle of a project, and suddenly a teammate comes along to tell you it’s just not going to work because of the software upgrade that was made two weeks ago. What if it’s not just one person? What if it’s everyone in the department or a sponsor that does not like the new system?

In fact, the more innovative your ideas are, the more resistance you’re likely to encounter – internally and externally. You can’t afford to let this kind of resistance demotivate you— as a change manager, you need to know how to deal with it effectively.

Resistance to change is natural 

Not attending to this reluctance could result in decreased productivity, constant bickering, pettiness, labor strike, and attrition within the company. This article will show you how to manage resistance and facilitate successful change in your organization.

First, identify your internal stakeholders – those, directly and indirectly, involved in the execution of your project. Know their level of involvement with the project and how the change will affect them.

Understand your stakeholders

It’s important to know why your team may resist change ahead and mitigate the risks. Sometimes, it could be that they feel threatened or uncertain about their role in the new system. Some may be concerned that the new system would cause them to lose their jobs. Other times, they just haven’t mastered how the new system works and feel frustrated about doing something different from the norm.

Communicate

Communication is key. If you want to get those team members on board and working with you, you need to make sure they understand what they’re getting into—and why.

It is vital for you as the change manager to clearly communicate expectations and give internal stakeholders opportunities to ask questions and answers about how things will work before implementing any changes.

Be authentic and honest in the way you speak with them. When possible, have one-on-one meetings with department heads or other team members to discuss the current situation and the need to adopt a  more effective way of handling the process.

It’s also important for them to know how their participation will benefit them as well as the company as a whole. For example, if they participate in making changes, then they will have more flexibility in scheduling work hours (and possibly even more money).

Build trust, be open

Once you’ve laid out all the details, it’s time to get buy-in from individual staff members as well as groups within departments or divisions of your company (if applicable). This is especially important if this is a large-scale project that involves multiple departments working together on something new—you want everyone invested so they’ll support each other through any difficulties that arise during implementation! Accept their feedback and implement them when feasible.

Conclusion

The best way to deal with resistance is to make sure your team knows what’s going on at all times—and that means keeping them informed about everything from small changes in business procedure to bigger changes like a reorganization. In addition, you need to keep them aware of how their work fits into the big picture of the company as a whole. That way, when you present a new idea for change, they will be able to see why it matters and be more open to embrace it. 

Olufisayo Oshoro (Business Analyst) – Author