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Organizational Transformation

Addressing Negative Responses to Change

Have you ever wondered why an announced change in an organization can spark so many different types of reactions? Two people, who fulfill the same role, who receive the same notice, at the same time, can have two completely different reactions. There is, in fact, a whole spectrum of responses that employees exhibit when a change is announced.

Organizaitonal Transformation

A change, large or small, causes an employee to ask questions about how his/her role and work environment will change. Many times, the plans for change do not have any meaning at first. There tends to be numerous gaps in communication and interpretation. This uncertainty saps energy from the whole change effort.

Change does not always affect employees negatively. A recent study published by McKinsey & Co reveals that negative feelings and positive feelings for change are just about equally shared. While change can cause anxiety, confusion, frustration, fatigue, and resistance, change can also elicit a sense of focus, enthusiasm, and feelings of momentum.

Unfortunately, those who implement a positive change must address the negative reactions. We must reduce the anxiety, confusion, and resistance. There are a number of measures that a change agent can employ to reduce or eliminate the negative responses to a change. Any or all of the following measures will help reduce the impact of the negative response:

Encourage participation of those affected
Allow for negotiation
Communicate the reason for change, the process, and the end state
Always be truthful
Retrain workforce where appropriate
Implement change at a pace the organization can handle
Offer counseling to those affected
Provide counseling to those affected

Organizational change is here to stay. There will always be new business drivers that force leaders to evaluate their current performance and find ways to improve it. Recognizing that negative reactions to change are inevitable, leaders can anticipate and mediate the negative impacts due to the change.