Change Management Failure: 4 Reasons Your Tactics Won’t Work
Are you tired of seeing your change initiatives fail? If you’re putting a lot of effort into implementing change, only to watch it fall apart, it’s time to reassess your tactics.
The majority of change efforts don’t succeed, and there are a few common causes. When you understand these obstacles, you’re able to craft your change management approach to avoid failure.Reason 1: The Change Is Unnecessary
You should always ask the following questions before considering any change:
- Is this change absolutely necessary?
- Does it increase productivity?
- Is it solving employee problems?
- Does the eventual benefit of this change outweigh the transitional discomfort of your team?
Many organizations jump into a change initiative with little consideration for the necessity of the organizational change. Rushing into an unnecessary change cuts into productivity and team morale. This is one of the reasons why less than 30% of change initiatives succeed.
With effective change management training, though, you’re able to determine the need for change, as well as the tactics to help your team understand this need. To get your team on board with any change within your company, you must make them aware of not only what is happening, but why. Use tactics like openly communicating, monitoring employee comfort levels, presenting a cohesive plan and listening to feedback to help your team sail through the change smoothly.
Reason 2: No One Knows What’s Going On
Ever been stuck at a stoplight that was out? It tends to cause mass confusion at the intersection. Traffic backs up, and nobody is sure what to do. When you finally make it through the light, you’re frustrated and behind schedule.
Throwing your team into change without strategic communication puts them at an intersection with no direction. In formulating any change management strategy, communication should always rank as a top priority. When your team has an understanding of what’s going on, it promotes transparency, trust and a culture of open communication.
Implement change management training that helps you communicate basic aspects of change, including:
- The Purpose – Communicating the purpose of change initiatives offers your team insight into the bigger picture. It helps them understand how the change is going to benefit the organization and gives them a reason to get on board with the transition.
- The Plan – How is change enacted from beginning to end? Let your team know how it should start and when it should conclude. Explain what the change is going to look like when it’s been successful.
- The Procedure – Once the purpose and plan have been communicated, make sure your team is fully aware of how the change is going to affect their day-to-day work life. The procedure impacts each member of your organization directly, so prepare them for what this will mean for their individual schedules.
Reason 3: There’s No Preparation
Sometimes, an organization is so fixated on a change within the company that it fails to prepare managers and team members for the upcoming change. When you spring a change on your team without proper preparation, explanation and consideration, you’re likely to be met with resistance. Even worse, you may face a spike in turnover from employees who don’t agree with the change or don’t want to deal with it.
Give your employees a head’s up before you pull the carpet out from under them. Processes often become habit, and it’s hard to leave a familiar way behind. Provide your leaders with management training so that they have an opportunity to deal with change preemptively. Then, they’ll have the tools to prepare the rest of your team for the upcoming transition.
Reason 4: Leadership Isn’t Involved
If your leadership team isn’t on board with the change, change is going to be dead in the water. Make sure your leaders believe in the change initiative, and let the rest of your team know how they feel about the benefits of it. If there’s a hint of division among your leadership or any show of apathy, your team is bound to pick up on the discord.
Encourage your managers to be hands on, setting an example of open communication and a willingness to embrace change. Participation in change management training gives your leaders the tools they need to help smooth out transitions, like communication skills, job coaching methods, tactics to increase productivity during times of change and more.
Transition is always uncomfortable, but when you have the proper change management training, your team is better positioned to avoid these common causes of failure.
Learn more about how to ensure successful change initiatives and the importance of investing in change management training. Download Change Management: 5 Principles To Combat Ineffective Leadership.
