How do you assess and address employee resistance to change?

This is a potent and persistent topic though I would frame it differently: "Why do executives do such a mediocre job of involving employees in the transformation process"? The idea that people fear change is a cliche. The fear of change goes way down when you realize: 1. your input is a part of the process, 2. this change will help you do your job better and keep your job, 3. the new solution will help you serve your stakeholder groups better, 4. the new solution will advance your skills and career. When all those things are in place change gets a heck of a lot easier. But when executives choose new software/direction, and impose it on employees, without clarifying how automation and cost efficiency might impact their job,expect resistance.

Creating continuous learning and development opportunities from experience equips employees to engage with and adapt to "change". Working in the field of Learning and Development, the opportunity to work with a group of employees, produced the design of a journey of Self Discovery that attracted participation and high levels of engagement.

Apart from scrum masters, project managers, and agile coaches, change managers focus on the “people-side” of change. Employees’ eagerness or resistance to change will be the major deciding factor in the successful adoption of a change.

??? Resistance = You did not include them in the process enough. The new system or processes you are implementing will impact everything they do. Who wouldn't want to provide feedback on how it is implemented?! Be sure to include your team in the process of designing your new solution or get their feedback on how the change will impact them. This doesn't mean every employee needs to be involved, or that every suggestion needs to be integrated, but you do need to take the feedback, evaluate it, and help your team understand why you are or are not implementing their feedback.

The most common reason for resistance is insecurity, and it comes from unknowns, especially about the future. An inclusive culture that makes everyone feel secure and important will definitely reduce resistance. Everyone wants to be creative, no one has a crystal ball and future will always be full of uncertainty, seeing that uncertainty as opportunity is only possible with togetherness. The leadership and followership need to feel together marching towards a common goal with everyone contributing in the journey. Only the combined vision can see the opportunity in the uncertainty. Gamification by adding uncertainty in the organization is toxic, it lacks the spirit of sportsmanship, win or lose, enjoy the game together is the right spirit.

Another reason people fear change is that it may negatively impact them. A critical aspect of mitigating negative reactions to change is ensuring that the change is in employees' best interests whenever possible. Focus groups, surveys and including employees in the solution generation processes are great ways to avoid this pitfall.

A few activities I've always found to contribute to successful change: communicate early to all levels. Don't rely on top down communication only. Solicit and validate fears/objections early. Engagement with SMEs through the ideation stage is integral in planning to overcome objections. I don't try to focus only on business and customer benefits. Internal employees are your first customers.

Helping employees understand the process of changes and responses to change; the changes they embrace and those they resist can in my opinion provide a base for personal development and up skilling.

Experiential learning, facilitator led that enables employees gain insights into reasons for their resistances to change. Coaching and group learning can in my opinion support employees overcome a fear of change and take risks to learn new skills and ways of working. My observations from having designed and delivered a learning and development experiences that produces positive outcomes.

Leaning how to talk more opening helps. It’s not just about asking question - it’s about how you ask them. Listen. Really listen. These are the skills we teach using Motivational Interviewing. You can help folks align their values with work. And if they’re not aligned you can work collaboratively together to find a path forward.

Wherever possible, meet people where they are at. As work environments took on more of a hybrid balance this past year I offered to meet people for tea or coffee and listen to their story. Sometime offsite at a nearby cafe away from the walls of work allows people to share more easily. This individual approach created a sense of belonging and care, to allow us both to understand not only the points of resistance, but also explore the tools and techniques available to assuage any logical fears. I also remind people, that while they may feel like the only person encountering this resistance or hesitation, that it is more common than they think. By doing so, they don't feel isolated or targeted by this change. Then, they can proceed.

To mitigate resistance, it is important that people see who was involved in the decision making process. Ensuring that employees have representation in the decision making and communicating it throughout the process reduces anxiety and resistance upon implementation.

Let's not forget that leadership plays a vitally important role in driving and embedding change. A senior figure within an organization must own that change process and empower her/his team to drive it through.

It is also helpful to plan for resistance to change in the earliest stages of the process. By bringing change ambassadors at all levels of the company on board from the beginning, you can ensure that you learn of any perceived or actual reluctance early on and you can adapt your communications and plan to address the causes.

Agree with the above. Describing a culture of effective leadership, clarity of communication, support for employees, career shifting opportunities, life long learning. Building trust and retention strategies

If resistance is uncovered close to the implementation of the change, it can be useful to hone in on the group expressing concerns and handle with care. Schedule an All Hands meeting, create a tailored communication addressing their specific questions, or reach out to a change champion on the team to gain more insight. Bringing the human touch can work wonders in easing resistance.

Using available tools like surveys, quizzes, or gamification can also be surefire ways to sustain and reinforce the change. Positive feedback for super-users can also be a great way to reinforce desired behavior with the team as a whole. Change management doesn’t end with implementation, but continued interaction from managers and leaders can improve a successful, sustained change.

Leadership and Sponsorship plays a very important role in sustaining and reinforcing the change. Often times there is no faster way to lose momentum for a change than a leader that said all the right things, but never behaved or acted in accordance with the new ways of working. Employees are smart, observant and expect more from their leaders when it comes to sustaining and reinforcing the change. This is something that leaders can proactively address by showcasing how they use the new tools, technology and techniques brought on by the change in their daily lives. Yes, training and coaching are helpful, but nothing comes as close to generating authentic engagement as having a leader show, even with the stumbles, how they change too.