HOW MANAGERS CAN MOTIVATE CHANGE

Employees resisting change is the number one challenge that people managers
have according to an APQC poll. In and out of the workplace, people have a natural inclination
to stay within their comfort zones. Furthermore, workers capacity for change is limited.

Employees today are understandably fatigued from the constant state of churn in corporate life.
With work across industries becoming ever more varied and complex, they must contend with a
regular influx of new processes, technologies, and organizational structures. Too much change
causes stress and inaction. But managers can encourage employees and teams to adopt new
ways of thinking and working. Following is a discussion of behaviors that managers can adopt to
overcome change resistance.

BEHAVIORS MANAGERS CAN ADOPT T O MOTIVATE CHANGE

Change management is about people. And change starts with the individual. How can managers
and leaders influence individual behavior? Through systematic, thoughtful engagement,
communication, and support.

Managers can initiate communication by involving employees upfront to scrutinize problems

and identify root causes. Early communication creates buy-in and ownership of what needs to
change and how. It also reveals employees needs and their perceived barriers.

Early communication is not a euphemism for subjugating the skeptics. Employees who resist
change do not need to be vanquished. In fact, they play an important role. When involved early
in the process, resistors help uncover roadblocks. By tapping into the expertise, ideas, and even
personality types of employees early, managers lay the foundation for valuable communication.

With this foundation, managers can then focus on fully explaining the desired change. That is,
what does and does not need to change? What prompted this need? What are the reasons for
this approach to change? What is the timeline? What exactly is the employees role? What is
required, and when does the employee have latitude to improvise? How will they be held
accountable?

Such explanations should be targeted, direct, and honest. Transparency and well-prepared
parameters establish trust. Clear explanations are just as important for changing individual
behaviors as they are for major organizational initiatives.

After explaining the desired change, managers should provide an opportunity for employees to
respond. Communication is a two-way process, and managers need to listen to employees
practical and emotional concerns. Employees want validation for their concerns and platforms
to provide feedback. Deliberate listening is also an opportunity for the manager to ensure an
employee processed the information and understands what needs to happen. (Following up on
peoples feedback with responses/updates is another way to keep communication open and
foster trust.)

Page 1 of 2
K07484 2017 APQC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 Managers can leverage what they heard from employee feedback to drive a desire for the
change by personalizing messages. Every employee wants to know: How will the change benefit
them? Employees are engaged when they have an emotional connection, and they act based on
their own interests. Managers need to craft messages that spell out the individual motivation.
With the desired change fully communicated, managers must model the change whenever
possible. They should also showcase employee examples and enlist advocates to share
testimonials and provide assurances. At the very least, managers should convey how important
this change is to leadership.

Employees also need sufficient time to adopt the change and contribute. It takes time to learn
new ways of thinking and working. Managers can track adoption, enforce accountability, and
remind people about the importance of the change, but immediate transformations are much
rarer than organically built momentum. While workers are given the space to change, managers
can start compiling success stories and measures that will hasten employee buy-in.

Finally, as managers monitor adoption, they should look to catch employees in the act of change
and offer positive reinforcement. A mix of rewards and recognition can reinforce accountability
and provide additional individual incentive to change. Public recognition also provides a model
for other employees.

This systematic communication approach should of course be supported with whatever tools,
knowledge, training, and skills are needed to make the change and sustain it.

For more information, see the report: People Challenges at Work: Lessons for Managing Talent
in the Digital Age.

ABOUT APQC
APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. It is the worlds
foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement,
and knowledge management. APQCs unique structure as a member-based nonprofit makes it a
differentiator in the marketplace. APQC partners with more than 500 member organizations
worldwide in all industries. With more than 40 years of experience, APQC remains the worlds
leader in transforming organizations. Visit us at www.apqc.org, and learn how you can make
best practices your practices.

Page 2 of 2
K07484 2017 APQC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED