There are many ways of managing change and there is a strategy in every form of change that takes place in an organisation. Kurt Lewin has defined the next 3 step as the steps that can be used in managing change:
- Unfreezing- Changing to overcome the pressure of both individual resistance and group conformity.
- Movement – A change process that transforms the organisation from the status quo to a desired end state.
- Refreezing – Stabilising a change intervention by balancing driving and restraining forces.
The existing conditions have an influence that can impact change both negatively and positively, below are the two forces that have and can sway the change:
- Driving forces – forces that direct behaviour away from the status quo.
- Restraining forces – forces that hinder movement from the existing equilibrium
The restraining forces are more of a description of the resistance to change and they requires a form of a strategy to manage them and influence the driving forces. Below are the recommended methodologies that can be used to manage resistance to change:
- Education and communication – setting clear communication methods that educates the employees on the change and the reasons for change.
- Participation – having focus session to let the employees contribute to how the organisation can change its current status. Collect ideas and implement the relevant once.
- Building support and commitment – provide the employees with support “including counselling” and train the new skills that might be required after change implementation. Reassure the employees in all possible manner.
- Develop positive relationships – building trust with your team
- Implementing changes fairly – the change should not be seen as punitive but necessary, every step should be fair and transparent.
- Manipulation and co-optation – making the change look good and withholding information to ensure buy in, it also recommend partnering with the resisting team to make it look like the organisation has their best interest at heart.
- Selecting people who accept changes – change is link to personalities, there are people that see change as a positive thing and they will always see the good in every situation.
- Coercion – application of direct threats or force on the resistance.
In the forever changing industry always be ethical about the methods you choose to implement when managing change.
Additional online read:
https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/tips-for-managing-resistance-to-change
Reference:
Robbins, S., Judge, T., Odendaal, A. and Roodt, G. (2016). Organisational behaviour – Global and Southern African Perspective. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Pearson Education
https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/tips-for-managing-resistance-to-change
Change within the workplace 