How to Introduce Change to Your Employees

Think it through, build support, deal with resistance

Mike Van Horn 
#12 in the series

How can you introduce change so that those who are going to be affected by it will be enthusiastic, rather than resistant?

In your ideal business, once you decide upon a needed change, you would just announce it . . . “Starting next Monday, we will all…” and all your people would willingly accept that new way of doing things. Alas, it rarely works this way! Instead, you find yourself exhorting, cajoling and threatening—and sometimes backing off and giving up on the change.

This book shows you step-by-step how to bring about needed change—large or small— in the workings of your company, with a minimum of resistance and back-sliding.

Topics covered

  • The 12 worst ways to introduce change

  • 12 steps for successful change

  • Build the bandwagon

  • Questions, concerns and objections

  • Allies and resistors

  • Tackle resistance

  • As the change is underway…

  • Mid-course correction

  • Successful completion

  • Keep it going

  • Worksheets to get the bandwagon rolling

Warm up Exercise

From the workbook

The 12 Worst Ways to Introduce Change

Do any of these apply to you?

  • Surprise your people by springing it on them.

  • Issue a fiat: “Starting Monday, everyone must . . .”

  • Introduce change on a whim: “Hey, I had a good idea; why don’t we…”

  • Assume you know best and ignore people's questions and concerns.

  • Seek the input of your people and then ignore it.

  • Say one thing, do another.

  • Keep everyone guessing.

  • Let negative rumors spread because you haven’t said enough--or anything.

  • Play down the burdens and hassles involved.

  • Start the project and then abandon it.

  • Make the change seem like punishment or extra work.

  • Wait until the change is forced upon you, then do it in crisis mode.