The Human Side of Change

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When implementing change, company leaders often have the belief that they simply need to announce that a change will be made, and the staff will follow.

It’s easy to come to this belief. Planning for change requires a great deal of energy, time, effort, and staff, just to get to the point where change can be announced. For those involved, it creates a belief that when announced, everyone else will be on board.

So when change initiatives get announced, why don’t staff members recognize the change reality? Why don’t they understand the need and just follow management’s lead?

Simply put, they have not been directly involved.

So what can make change real? How can the company’s staff get involved with change?

Being Human

The simplest, and perhaps least common approach to making change real lies in the openness to being human.

People have families, friends, thoughts, emotions, fears, and desires. They come together each working day to engage in activities they perceive as valued and valuable. They care about what they do, who they work with, and the company they work for. They wonder about their careers, and where their current jobs will take them.

Yet, when they cross the company’s threshold, “people” somehow get transformed into “resources.”

Three steps

Three simple, yet powerful steps can bring humanity back into the change equation. These steps don’t take a lot of time or money, advanced degrees or high-priced consultants. Rather, they recognize that people make change real. They establish a respect for people and engage them in shaping future changes.

1. Paint the picture
2. Honor the past
3. Demonstrate the future