Resisting change is part of human nature. Yet change has become the new “normal” in today’s world, including in the public sector, where change tends to occur at a glacial pace, if at all. These two facts illustrate why it’s critical for public safety leaders to help their employees and stakeholders embrace change, or at least not oppose it. Here are nine things you can do to make that happen:
1. Create a common “big picture”
Ensure your agency has a clear vision or “big picture” that everyone can relate to. Equally important, make sure every employee can articulate the contribution he/she makes. Why? When human beings feel they’re part of something bigger than themselves, they tend to focus on ACHIEVING that picture rather than on resisting it.
2. Appeal to people’s enlightened self-interest
The biggest motivator I know is enlightened self-interest. You address the “self-interest” aspect when you answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) up front, from each individual’s perspective. Since people don’t always know what’s good for them, educating them is critical if you are to be successful in inspiring them to take action. Education is important both for your own members as well as for stakeholders.
3. Walk the talk
Don’t expect employees and stakeholders to embrace change if their leaders don’t do it themselves
4. Ask, “What’s your evidence?’’
When people make statements that represent speculation or opinion, or that are just plain wrong, request that they back up their claims. Asking them what evidence leads them to draw their conclusions opens the door for a discussion of the issue.
5. Develop excellent framing skills
“Framing” means to put things in perspective. The most common example is the proverbial glass: is it half empty or half full? Because our frame affects the way we see the world, the way we think, our beliefs, and our actions, leaders can teach employees and stakeholders that they have a choice in terms of how they experience change. For example, they can choose to be victims of change, or empowered by change. They can view change as replete with opportunities or rife with obstacles.
6. Provide supervisory skills training
Providing agency leaders with the tools they need to be successful in helping employees and stakeholders embrace change is one of the most effective ways to mitigate resistance to change. This is particularly true at the supervisory level, which is where the tone of the work unit is set. Public safety agencies are like many other organizations: they promote good performers to supervisors and expect them to lead effectively, yet they don’t provide them with the training they need to be successful. Don’t make that mistake: train your supervisors well.
7. Don’t try to square a circle
In this context, this phrase means that the “good old days,” whatever they meant for your employees and stakeholders, are gone, never to return. The world has changed, and so must we. Continuing to do things the old way, especially when they clearly don’t work anymore, is a form of organizational insanity. And continuing to assure the community that your agency will provide the same level of service even when its budget and staff have been decimated does everyone a disservice.
8. Incorporate procedural fairness into all decision-making
While leaders often cannot control decision factors or outcomes, they can control the process by which decisions are made. Research shows clearly that if people perceive that the process by which decisions are made is fair – i.e., free of bias, non-discriminatory, transparent, and offers an opportunity for meaningful input by those affected by the decision – then they will accept it even when they don’t like or agree with it.
9. Remove the elephant from the living room
The “elephant in the living room” refers to an issue or topic or problem that everyone knows is present, yet no one will talk about. It causes dysfunction and all sorts of negative behaviors and outcomes, including resistance to change. Escorting the elephant out of the living room, and making sure it doesn’t come back, will help you address the real issues and allow people to embrace change rather than resist it.
What are some of the ways you have found that effectively reduce resistance to change in your agency? Let us know!
© 2013 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.
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