3 Tips to Handle the Difficulty of Organizational Change

Do You Know How to Handle the Difficulty of Organizational Change
No leader wants to make change more difficult.  The ability to handle the difficulty of organizational change differentiates successful change leaders from their peers.  Change management experts know employees usually resist change out of a kind of fear of upsetting the more comfortable balance of the status quo.

Overcoming Fear
It is also powerful for change leaders to remember that any important or difficult change must overcome the fear of the unknown, untried, or of potential failure.  After most successful organizational change efforts, people talk about their ability to embrace and endure the fear of change with those around them. That is easier said than done.

Change is Complex and Messy
Part of the problem with leading change is that there is a wide range of opinions about what factors most influence organizational change initiatives and what should be done to improve your chances of success. That’s because change is personal, messy, complex, and uniquely tied to each organization’s business strategy and workplace culture

Three Tips to Better Handle the Difficulty of Organizational Change
Change management training and consulting experts have all kinds of advice on how to introduce change and communicate effectively throughout the process. But as hard as you try, there will still be some frustration and fear. To better handle the difficulty of organizational change:

1. Do Not Underestimate the Challenge of Change
   When it comes to complex organizational change, effective leaders acknowledge and appreciate the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead for all concerned.
2. Do Not Fight the Politics that Exist in Every Organization
   You may not like it, but it’s the way things work…at least for the time being. If you buck the current political or cultural system, you risk upsetting power structures and relationships that have been in place and have supported needed functions and performance.  Unless it is a cultural change you seek, minimize the amount you fight against the implicit and explicit layers of behavior and power.
3. Do Not Condemn the Masses for the Few
   If there are a few disgruntled employees who need extra support or guidance, talk to them individually. Addressing the group as a whole will only alienate those who are trying to get onboard with the change.

The Bottom Line
To better handle the difficulty of organizational change make sure you do not underestimate the challenge of changing behavior, fight the political power structures, or give too much power to those who resist change.

To learn more about how to handle the difficulty of organizational change, download How to Mobilize, Change and Transform Your Team