5 Tips to Lead People Through Change

Whether an organization is making a significant shift, like migrating to new backend software, or a small adjustment, like switching a paper-based process to an electronic format, change is inevitable and necessary to meet modern expectations. Organizations often feel prepared for the technical side of change, from planning tasks and roles to setting milestones and deadlines. However, managing the “people” side of change can feel more puzzling. Read on for our tips to lead people through change and increase the probability of your project’s success.

1. Identify a Sponsor

Making a change starts with spreading awareness and helping people understand why it’s necessary. This begins with a sponsor — ideally, someone at a high level in the organization. They should have the authority to mandate a change and the ability to be a cheerleader who can get people on board and motivated throughout the transition. The sponsor’s participation in the project should be active and visible, helping demonstrate their confidence in and commitment to the change. They should communicate directly with employees, while also working with a coalition of peers and supervisors to deliver messages on a more personal level.

2. Build a Coalition

While it’s the sponsor’s responsibility to set high-level objectives, track project status, and communicate with end users, a steering committee and department directors can help reinforce the sponsor’s messages. This coalition can provide perspective on how the change will impact each department and tailor messaging to specific teams. Sponsors should avoid delegating their responsibilities to the coalition, but they can leverage coalition members’ expertise and connections within the organization.

3. Involve Managers and Supervisors

Managers and supervisors are important to drive change: they’re trusted by employees, can mitigate resistance, and are capable of building support at an individual level. Employees often prefer to hear about change from their supervisor, rather than from a higher-level sponsor, because a supervisor has a clearer understanding of how the change affects them. With their deeper understanding of individual team members and roles, managers and supervisors can take a personalized approach to reinforcing the sponsor’s messages and communicate the impacts of process changes specific to their team.

4. Understand and Expect Resistance

When taking on a change in your organization, you’re bound to hear “that’s just the way we’ve always done it” somewhere along the way, and it’s a powerful sentiment. People often dislike change, and resistance is a natural reaction. That resistance might stem from fear — from losing status as a process expert to facing the unknown. Resistance might also be amplified by outside factors, like challenges in employees’ personal lives or feelings that the change will derail their professional development. Maybe employees have experienced a change in the organization before that didn’t end well, or they feel they’ve already reached their capacity for change in their work. Some ways to mitigate resistance include listening to employees’ objections and seeking their input on a solution that can get them to the desired result. By offering flexibility for how goals are achieved, employees can feel a sense of autonomy and ownership that can take them from dissenters to advocates.

5. Gather Feedback and Reinforce Results

While going through a change, gathering feedback can uncover challenges, resistance, and success stories — all of which are helpful to understand next steps and communication needs. Anonymous surveys can reveal honest feedback that employees wouldn’t share otherwise. If feedback is good overall, sharing survey results can help resistant employees see they’re in the minority and even seek out ways to adapt to and benefit from the change. Observing and interacting with employees, hosting inter-departmental meetings, and encouraging discussion on forums or message boards can also help organizations gather feedback. When milestones are reached or success stories are shared, be sure to celebrate. Constantly focusing on driving forward can quickly lead to fatigue. Don’t underestimate the power of a small celebration to help alleviate stress and maintain momentum.