Helping employees through change

My 13 year old son is a member of the BC Boys Choir. This week sopranos and altos (unbroken voices) received an invitation to sing with Sarah Brightman, who is performing at one of the 2010 Olympic venues. We couldn’t figure out why he was so resistant until we realized that he thought he would be performing at the Opening Ceremonies; a stressful and overwhelming thought for him. Once he understood that this was not the case – he was happy to commit.


We all come at life with an existing framework; an understanding of how the world works. Sometimes our preconceptions get in the way and hinder us from moving forward and making decisions. This is particularly true when we ask employees to go through change.

The usual management strategy is to try and persuade employees with facts and figures. The only trouble is that employees will take the facts and figures and interpret them within their existing framework or mind set, and the interpretation might not be exactly as management intended.

To influence effectively we need to understand the world from the other persons point of view. We also need to be ready to trade, in other words provide them with something of value, in return for their support of the change process.

I am currently working with a client on a technology change project. The rationale for the project is solid and the change necessary. The trouble is the group has gone through a number of earlier technology changes that were not positive. This is their existing framework. This is how they see the world and no amount of facts and figures will change that. That’s because decision making has a strong emotional component to it. Research shows that at the point where we must decide, emotion is necessary.

Employees will decide to adopt a change when they can see themselves, and the role they play, within the change. This allows them to make decisions at an emotional level and adapt the change to their internal framework.

The client I am currently working with has opted for a multi-pronged approach to ensuring their employees connect with the change, and understand its value for them.

Here are some of the things you can do to make sure you are not one of the 70% of change initiatives that fail because the people who are to make the changes are not engaged.

1. Long before the change begins talk to your employees about the world the business operates within. Share with them key business results, market information, issues and challenges the industry faces, trends, and other relevant information. Interpret it so they understand what the business needs to do to move ahead. If you are involving them in key business information before you ask for change you are in effect giving them something of value – information , but also trust in sharing information usually meant for senior leaders. This value can then be traded for cooperation at a later stage.

2. Have a clear vision for your project. This will help people to connect with it at an emotional level - and understand their personal contributions.

3. Engage the employees in defining how business processes will change with the adoption of the new system. It’s their work, so they will be able to tell you what they do now and how that will change. There is great value in being seen and acknowledged as an expert.

4. Give the technology a chance. Answer all the important business questions before you introduce it.

5. Be clear about what the technology can and cannot do. Manage expectations.

6. Communicate regularly. Resist the temptation to only communicate when you have all the answers – you never do.

7. Understand clearly how different people will use the technology. Not every group will need to be communicated to in the same way.

8. Work with champions of the change to illustrate early wins. Show the behaviours people need to adopt to be successful.

9. Ensure training is relevant to each group and offers employees a real way to apply the technology.

Change is never straightforward but an acknowledgement that implementing it is more about the people then the technology and process is a good place to start.