Do People Really Hate Change?

You’ve probably said, “People hate change.” I know I have! But if you really dive in, it depends on what the change is and how it is communicated.

We all crave a certain amount of certainty or consistency in our lives while also craving a bit of variety (read more about how to turn uncertainty into advantage here). If you are trying to make a change in your business, either for yourself or others, below are a few points to help you unpack your approach to change and ease the path of transition.

What Do We Fear?

There are four major things that we fear when someone says the word “change.”

1. Loss of control is a big one. Something is changing, and we have no control over the change.
2. The change may impact the rules that we work or live by in small ways or major ways such as our income.
3. It may affect our way of operating or our habits. A new process may seem small, but for the individual, this takes away certainty.
4. We just don’t know how the change will impact us. We have just a fear of the unknown.

Smoothing the Change Process

As leaders, it’s up to us to anticipate our team’s needs and manage how change is rolled out. Luckily, there are systematic steps we can take as we plan our changes and as we support our teams throughout any significant changes. Whether it’s the org chart, a process, or tarriffs.

Questions to Ask During Planning

• Is this the right change? As leaders we may think that we know the solution without exploring the root cause. Investigation is often necessary to identify the issue and formulate the right solution.
• What is the risk level of the change? Is it a low or high-risk change, like changing a compensation structure that could impact employee retention? The higher the risk, the more planning and potential input may be needed.
• Who will be affected? There is usually a domino effect in making change. We don’t always see how a change in process may affect other individuals or other departments.
• Who should be involved or provide input? Not every decision needs to have everyone weighing in, but if you are asking people to change, increasing their opportunity to comment gives them an opportunity to process, ask questions, and be a part of the change. Use the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model to determine who should be involved. Recognize your champions and get their support in adoption.
• How will people react? Depending on the risk level of the change, most people will go through the change curve, just at different rates. The way that you handle that change can either slow or speed that process.
• How will you communicate the change? Misinterpretation is common. Put things in writing and communicate the change in several ways. If it is complex, write a process or create an FAQ to address issues. Be clear and consistent to reduce confusion.

Don’t Forget!

1. Adjust your expectations. People don’t always immediately adopt a change. It may be changing habits or processes but watch for early adopters and get the support of influencers and champions in the change process.
2. Celebrate the wins! Provide feedback to the group as change is being adopted. Let them know the effect and impact.

Each of these questions and tips address the four areas that individuals fear when change is being implemented.

Measuring Success

There will still be some resistance, and it is helpful to look at the ratio of people affected that are adapting to the change and that is increasing over time.

Need help with an internal change? Let’s have coffee and discuss.