Performance Management

Change Management: Motivating, Empowering And Inspiring For Action (E)

What is the progressive goal setting? What makes the balance between overstretching and realistic goal setting?

Posted: Apr 2010

Since you created the urge for change, you gathered the change team, created the vision and made and execute the communication plan, you need to make sure that everything is aligned. The people react differently to changes. In most cases they will make some resistance to the changes. 

Typical pattern of phases in acceptance of changes is through the following stages of employee's reactions and manager's responses:

SHOCK. Employee is unpleasantly surprised by the new situation. He/she may become very emotional. Manager must remain calm, acknowledge the feelings of the individual and suggest having follow conversation.

DENIAL. Employee is rejecting the whole new concept and except that the change will not happen. Manager must emphasize that change will take place.

ANGER. Employee may try to block the change process or to leave the team. Manager must divert the anger from the change leader to the real reason that initiated the change in the first place.

BARGAINING. Employee tries to alter the changes, in order to meet his/her needs. Manager must be focused on the initial change, stating the benefits of the change for the employee.

DEPRESSION. Employee looses the work morale and may be absent from work. Manager must give support to the employee, with stress to positive actions.

TESTING. Employee is testing the new environment, in order to find positive elements. Manager encourages positive thinking

ACCEPTANCE. Employee expresses ownership of the new situation. Manager provides recognition for the effort.

It is necessary for the managers to energize people to embrace change and overcome major barriers to change, by satisfying basic human needs, values and emotions. There are two ways of supporting the employees: the logical and emotional way. Logical way is to give employee to collect data and analyze the effects of change. The emotional way is helping the people to see the nature of the change and its benefits for individual and organization.

Still, it is likely to have some resistance within the organization. It is important not to fight the resistance. You need to understand it. You need to understand all underlying reasons of resistance. You need to understand the strength of the resistance. Finally, you need to understand how to overcome them.

In order to motivate people for the change process, you need to accept and perform the basic principles of motivation. You need to motivate yourself. Treat each person as individual. Set challenging, but realistic targets. Understand that progress motivates.

Try to create motivating environment. Provide proper rewards for shown effort. Give public recognition for the effort. Make all your intentions clear. If you follow these principles it is very likely that you will succeed as leader of the change process.
 

Related Reading:

Change Management - Introduction
Step 1: Engaging & Creating the Change Environment
Step 2: Building the Change Team 
Step 3: Defining the Vision 
Step 4: Building the Communication Plan 
Step 5: Motivating, Empowering and Inspiring for Action
Step 6: Supporting the Change process