How to Overcome Resistance to Change

How to Overcome Resistance to Change

70% of change projects fail. Do you have what it takes to lead successful change?

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INTRODUCTION

In business, the one constant is change. Whether dictated by new regulations, competitive pressures, new products, new processes and systems, or a merger of two businesses, organizational change must be managed effectively to achieve its goals. Everyone knows this; yet despite this understanding, research by McKinsey & Company confirms that the change failure rate of 70% in all organizations has remained constant for the last two decades. Whatever change methodology is used – and there are plenty, from Kotter’s 8-step model, through Beckhard & Harris, Lewin’s three-stage model, and Prosci’s Enterprise Change Management, and more – the failure rate remains at around 70%. So, if the methodology of change management doesn’t alter the outcome, what is the major cause of failures? Resistance to change – the number one cause of change management failures An organization’s board does not instigate a change program without good reason. This change must then be implemented by managers. Unfortunately, these managers often don’t possess the skills or training to overcome resistance to change. The benefits of the change are not communicated effectively, and employees are mismanaged through turbulent times.

Why are many people resistant to change? There are many reasons why people are resistant to change, but it is too easy to dismiss this resistance as being caused by disruption. Yes, people prefer stability. They don’t like being taken out of their comfort zones. When forced to do something alien to them, people become resistant. Yet people face change in their daily lives almost without end. Moving home, changing jobs, having children, children leaving home, switching sports clubs… the list of changes is almost constant. How is it that people face personal change, overcome their fears, and create their own successes? What stops them from doing the same in their professional and working lives? Understanding the answer to this question will help managers create strategies to overcome resistance to change.

When analyzing the reasons behind resistance to change, Torben Rick, a change management specialist from Europe, noted that employee resistance was caused by 12 critical factors: 1. Misunderstanding of the need for change 2. Fear of the unknown 3. Lack of competence 4. Connected to the old way 5. Low trust 6. Temporary fad 7. Lack of consultation (engagement) 8. Poor communication 9. Change of routine 10. Change exhaustion 11. Change in the status quo (they will be worse off) 12. Benefits and rewards

Strategies for overcoming resistance to change Some of the above 12 reasons for resistance to change must be tackled by effective process and skills training – lack of competence, change of routine, and connected to the old way, for example. Others must be tackled by creating a culture of change within the organization – poor communication, fear of the unknown, lack of consultation, temporary fad, and change exhaustion. However, of all tactics to overcome resistance to change, the most overlooked and underprepared is change management capability of executives, managers, and supervisors. This book will arm organizations, their executives and managers with a greater knowledge of how to overcome resistance to change by using effective employee engagement, management and leadership skills and competencies. We’ll start by looking at the emotional side of change within an organization, before looking at the leadership skills and approaches required to eliminate resistance to change.

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CONTENTS

Why change leaders will benefit from an Emotional Intelligence Appraisal

The cycle of resistance to change

Breaking habitual resistance to change

Bridge culture and generation gaps for effective organizational change

Increasing productivity by using the power of peak performance

How the resilient leader acts to inspire organizational change

Clarity in change management will jumpstart your transformation

Working with you to jumpstart change leadership effectiveness

Eliminate resistance to change by understanding yourself and others first

About the author

THE CYCLE OF RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

"I’m absolutely overwhelmed. Management doesn’t seem to understand the impact of change on my day-to-day workload.” That headline is a common complaint from employees at firms seeking to move toward a strategic vision that encompasses organizational change. More worryingly, middle managers – those expected to be your primary conduit between strategy and implementation – voice the same concern. An impartial, experienced coach will help break through resistance at all levels and jumpstart organizational change. Handling change in the workplace is a challenge No one ever said that change was easy. Even the bosses who are recognized as the world’s greatest ever change leaders – CEOs like Jack Welch at GE, and Lou Gerstner at IBM – faced challenges that had to be overcome. As strange as it may seem, such change management talents had to learn their craft and discover how to counteract resistance to change. Handling change in the workplace is not an ability that blesses the precious few at birth. Resistance to organizational change is seen at all stages One thing that our clients soon come to realize is that resistance to change is encountered throughout the process of change, and takes on several different forms:  Disbelief is often encountered at the outset, or even the initial announcement of organizational change. Mutterings of “Why do we need to change?” soon turn

to an avalanche of adverse reaction.

 Lethargy manifests itself in apathy toward change. This is often seen keenest in middle management, with a lack of energy for the project rippling through the organization.  Questioning the progress made is a common tactic of resistors to spread their own negative views.  Denial of the need for organizational change will be voiced most vociferously at any shortfall in expected outcomes. The resistance to change will grow as resistors point to small shortfalls as evidence of the change program, making everyone’s jobs and targets more difficult to accomplish.  Reluctance to change is usually evidenced by people reverting to the old way of doing things.  Depression is seen most in the people who you might consider to be keenest and most empowered by organizational change. These people want it all yesterday, and may become dismayed at the slow pace of change, questioning why the initiative was ever started.

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A strategy for dealing with resistance to change Let’s get back to the headline we began discussing. Here, there are several forces at play, with the employee placing the blame squarely on management. The employee doesn’t want to change his/her working routine, and will see any minor problem as a big issue and a further reason for change. Of course, he or she doesn’t believe they should shoulder any of the responsibility – they probably didn’t see the motives for the organizational change to begin with. When you encounter resistance to change, try listening to what is being said: after all, the person speaking probably knows more about the direct impact of the change program on them and their way of working. pg. 5 Reflect before taking action Effective change management begins with effective planning. First, reflect on the possible impacts of change. Ask yourself:  Where and who will be most impacted through the change program?  Who is likely to be most resistant to change, and need the most help?  How will you communicate the reasons for change, expectations, benefits and progress?  Are the concerns being voiced genuine issues, or resistance to change? After these reflective questions have been answered, only then should you take appropriate actions: Create a forum for the review of the organizational change program, and identify key stakeholders and threats to change. Set open discussion meetings to discuss all aspects of your change program. Communication is key when handling resistance in the workplace.

Reinforce the reasons for change and answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Allow time for people to accept organizational change. Ensure that you ‘hold the hands’ of those most reticent to change. Discuss their fears and anxieties with them in frank and honest one-to-one sessions, answering their concerns and offering solutions to problems encountered. Jumpstart change by reinforcement Even when you think you’ve crossed the finish line, don’t be fooled into taking your foot off the gas. Years of doing things a certain way institutionalizes behavioral patterns. Reasons for the change program, benefits to the company and individual, and the risks of not following through with the new processes, procedures, and methodologies will need to be reinforced long after expected results have been achieved. There may be decades of accepted behaviors that need to be redefined and replaced. The new ways could take some time to become embedded as accepted by all, and any relaxation in the change management effort could jeopardize the whole program way into the future. What you need is a new culture to drive change. You need your employees and other stakeholders on board. What better way than to seek their help in a more collaborative environment?

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BRIDGE CULTURE AND GENERATION GAPS FOR EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

7 tactics to use in a stakeholder engagement strategy for employees There was a time – now in the distant memory – when organizations were managed by authoritarian methods. If the manager asked his or her staff to jump, they would ask “How high?”. Today, things are not quite so straightforward. People crave satisfaction in their work. They want to know that their efforts are appreciated. They want to be active contributors to success. They consider themselves to be stakeholders in the business, and not simply a number collecting a weekly paycheck. Added to this new dynamic, teams are now multigenerational. For organizational leaders and managers, this new environment can bring many benefits. A mix of experience, energy, creativity, and innovation are ingredients of success. However, different generations have different outlooks on work and life. They have different communication styles, adjust to new technologies at various speeds (or, perhaps, not at all), and work differently. This diversity can create new conundrums, confusion, and conflicts. To overcome these issues, organizations must employ a stakeholder engagement strategy internally. This strategy must be as dynamic as the workforce itself, and delivered by leaders who influence rather than dictate.

Millennials are a key motivator of cultural acceptance Millennials are key to an organization’s success. In the future, they will be its leaders. In the present, they are helping to redefine cultural attitudes. They work well in teams and are creative, with technological ability that enhances their reputation as information gatherers. Perhaps most importantly in a society with such fluid movement of people, millennials are more tolerant of cultural diversities. 7 tactics to engage your workplace stakeholders Bringing the generations together to maximize beneficial potential must be carefully planned. Organizations must: ·  Account for generational diversity  Facilitate working and learning from each other  Employ appropriate communication styles and techniques

 Recognize the efforts of their employees  Listen to concerns, desires, and ideas These tactics combine to create a powerful stakeholder engagement strategy in the workplace.

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1. Coach your managers in generational diversity

4. Create an open environment to encourage collaboration

Leaders and managers must first understand the beats with which they are dealing. Coach them to recognize and understand generational diversity, so they can embrace the potential by employing appropriate leadership tactics.

Encourage people to converse often and openly. In team meetings, ask for (and listen to) ideas and the sharing of experiences. Encourage a collaborative culture to drive continuous change by enabling decision-making in cross-generational and cross-functional working groups. This new open and transparent culture can also be encouraged by redesigning office space. Eliminate closed doors and open the space.

2. Enable cross-generational collaboration

Encourage millennials to benefit from the experience of baby boomers. Simultaneously, senior employees should learn from the new viewpoint of the younger generation. One way to facilitate these learning processes is to adopt mentoring programs that bridge the generational divide.

5. Be a people organization

Different generations are at different stages of their life. Show concern for their personal wellbeing and needs: offer flexibility of hours and working practices to allow people to have a better work/life balance. This is more difficult than it appears – organizations must also be seen to treat all employees equally and fairly.

3. Engage people by considering different learning and working preferences

People of different generations learn differently. Baby boomers prefer classroom- based presentations and textbooks, while millennials prefer interactive training enabled by technology. Build your training with these differences in mind. In daily work, focus on creating a standard against which everyone is measured. Consider results achieved, and give flexibility as to how those results are achieved by allowing more flexibility of working routines; for example, by offering flexible hours or remote working opportunities. In longer-term projects, consider engaging millennials by giving them extra responsibilities outside their normal remit.

6. Use appropriate communication styles and channels

Different generations communicate differently. Younger employees generally prefer social media-style channels of communication (texting, instant messaging, and emails), while baby boomers prefer face-to-face communication and talking on the phone. When holding meetings, ensure that there is something to discuss and to engage all employees.

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7. Recognize people, their commitment, and their efforts Create a recognition program that rewards people appropriately. Use email to congratulate people personally, and the intranet or team meetings to recognize workers publicly. Provide extra training and coaching not because people are failing, but because they deserve a boost in their career prospects. Ensure that one-to-one reviews provide employees with the opportunity to be open and honest. The millennial generation is the first to be working with three other generations of employees as colleagues. As their influence grows in the workplace, an organization’s long-term success may depend on the ability of its leaders to adapt employee engagement strategies to bridge the generational gap and recognize that employees are the key stakeholders in any business.

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HOW THE RESILIENT LEADER ACTS TO INSPIRE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

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In the process of organizational change, there are two dominant leadership styles. The first is transactional, and the second is transformational. In this chapter, we discuss the difference between the two, the advantages and challenges of transformational leadership, and why one cannot exist without the other. What is transactional leadership? Transactional leadership is concerned with ensuring that assigned tasks are completed. It’s about daily work functions, and ensuring a seamless switch from one process to another. Transactional leaders are generally unconcerned about the future vision, but instead focus on set targets. They are exceptional at creating frameworks, formulating policies, and implementing procedures to move an organization from A to B. To make change that lasts, a leader needs to engage people in the project. Transactional leadership doesn’t do this. It doesn’t encourage people to embrace the new corporate culture, beliefs, and values. It doesn’t influence people to change, but instead obliges them to. What is transformational leadership? The transformational leader is a resilient, inspirational figurehead. When he or she talks, they immediately engage their audience. They motivate their people, providing the impetus for organizational (and personal) change. They consider that building cohesive teams in a collaborative environment provides the best framework for ongoing change success. A transformational leader concentrates on the big picture:

Team building

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Alignment of goals, values, and beliefs

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Corporate culture

 The importance of empowering employees Transformational leaders create vision, build teams, and model required behaviors. They employ effective communication techniques to motivate and encourage collaboration. They identify and nurture talent, providing mentorship, coaching and training to develop today’s executives into tomorrow’s leaders. Advantages and challenges of transformational leadership Transformational leaders inspire a workforce. They provide vision, and encourage the creativity and innovation needed when problem-solving. In addition, transformational leadership empowers employees to take responsibility for their own personal growth. Potential leaders come to the fore.

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Transformational leaders communicate future vision, which provides the impetus for employees to meet the challenges of change, seek solutions, and become problem- solvers. The result is a cultural shift in which everyone becomes engaged with the change project. This isn’t easy, but eventually the resilient leader will reduce and eventually eliminate resistance to change. The performance of Jack Welch at GE is evidence of the financial progress that can be achieved under transformational leadership – in 19 years, GE’s revenues almost quadrupled, its earnings multiplied almost pg. 9 eightfold, and the stock price saw a 40-fold increase. A transformational leader encourages teams and individuals to raise their game. Productivity and growth is almost assured. However, transformational leaders – for all their inspirational qualities – tend to lack the detailed focus to implement their vision. They provide urgency and reason, but must rely on transactional leaders to implement the new processes, procedures and policies in the workplace. In summary Transformational leaders provide the inspiration that promotes lasting organizational change. Without them, it is unlikely that a large scale change process will survive the test of time. Organizational transformation requires direction and vision, development of a new culture, and modeling of behaviors expected of employees. Transformational leaders are the captains of change; but without the engine room of transactional leadership, your change project could grind to a halt.

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CLARITY IN CHANGE MANAGEMENT WILL JUMPSTART YOUR TRANSFORMATION

According to several change management studies, the failure rate for change projects rests somewhere between 60% and 70%. For example:  McKinsey & Company have consistently found that only one in three transformation projects succeed in their goals  IBM’s 2008 Global CEO Study found that around 60% of change projects fail  The Harvard Business Review in 2000 reported that 70% of change initiatives fail. These studies clearly show that, despite hundreds of studies on the subject, there has been little to no improvement in change project success rates since John Kotter published his book Leading Change in 1996. In this chapter, we will examine the need for clarity when undertaking transformational change initiatives, and pose six questions your organization should answer to provide that clarity. Why do change projects fail? As we’ve seen, there is no single reason why so many change projects fail to produce the benefits intended. There’s also no set blueprint that can be followed for every change initiative. Different organizations work to different policies, procedures, and processes. They have different cultures, different management hierarchies, and different customer and supplier bases. However,

there are some common themes that run through change failures. These include:  Resistance to change  Poor leadership (think Jack Welch at GE vs. Ron Johnson at J. C. Penney)  Isolated change  Lack of an integrated strategy  The organization had not been prepared for change  Lack of sponsorship and support  Lack of employee engagement When searching for a common thread that may weave all these reasons for failure together, clarity in change management is highlighted by the number of reasons that have communication at their core. For example: In 6 Reasons Why Change Programs Fail, half the reasons cited are communication-based (communication, unclear objectives, and lack of performance measures).

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 How will the project be initiated, carried through, and sustained?  What tools and support will there be for affected stakeholders?  Where can more information be found (websites/managers/team meetings)? Of course, your change project document should not be the beginning and end of the communication process. You’ll need to continue to engage your people, employing their strengths when and where needed, and keep all stakeholders informed of project progress. Do this with clarity, and your transformational change should benefit from inspired leadership, a strong focus of purpose that eliminates resistance, and preparedness for change at every stage of the process. In the next two chapters, we’ll look at the insight that change leaders need to establish effective communication techniques in an environment where emotional responses are mixed.

In an article published by Project Smart (Why does change fail?) the top reason quoted is “Not clear about the reasons for the change and the overall objectives”. In the article Why Change Fails published by Change Designs, among the top five reasons put forward are “ineffective communication” and “mixed messages and confusion”. How do you give your change projects the clarity they need? When change projects are initiated, there is often a lack of clarity in the communication of scope and purpose of the proposed change. This is typically because the change management team, who are completely at ease with all the whys and wherefores, fail to answer the questions that employees and other stakeholders need answered. Or, they do so with change documentation that is pages and pages long, and shrouded in numbers, accounting terms, and technical descriptions that even astrophysicists would find complex. The result is confusion, resistance, and poor execution of the transformation program. The project is a failure before it starts. To encourage engagement and to jumpstart change, it’s necessary to publish a change document to all stakeholders which is written concisely and with clarity, while answering the questions to which the stakeholders want answered. These six questions need to be addressed early in the process, before any resistance is allowed to develop and mature:  Why is this change needed?  What’s in it for me (the stakeholder)?  How will this change the organization?

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ELIMINATE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE BY UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF AND OTHERS FIRST

Why do employees resist change? When asked why employees resist change, all answers lead to their emotional response. Any change naturally shifts a person out of their comfort zone. Whether the change is personal (a house move or a new baby, for example) professional (perhaps a change of job or promotion), or organizational (maybe a new work process or company merger), you can expect an emotional response from your employees. The importance of emotional intelligence in change leadership It’s the emotional response that dictates the level of resistance to change. In the business world, the business case for change, the new systems, and processes are the easy part of change management. The difficulty lies in gaining the buy-in of your employees. You may be asking them to change a routine that they have known for their entire working life. For some, this will cause enormous emotional distress. Effective change leadership hangs on being able to manage emotions – both your own and those of your employees. It’s not what happens during a change process, it’s how you respond and how you manage the responses of others that determines success or failure. If you can’t handle the emotional response, resistance will grow, and change is almost bound to fail. Lack of emotional intelligence is why leaders are poor at overcoming resistance There have been numerous studies into why change management fails. In the

October 2014 McKinsey Quarterly, it was noted that “transformational change initiatives have a dismal track record”. John Kotter’s studies consistently showed that around 70% of organizational change projects fail. The failure of leadership teams to grasp the importance of emotional intelligence as the key to tackling resistance to change is increasingly accepted as the reason behind the poor change management statistics. Yet still, project and change management teams tend to concentrate on the process of change, rather than the psychology of change, when devising strategies to overcome resistance to change. When you embark on any change program, you are not only asking your people to change the way they work, but also the way they think about work. You’re asking them to change their routines, their behaviors, and perhaps even to re-evaluate their values and beliefs. These elements are embedded in a collective culture, as well as individual mindsets. Effective organizational change cannot be made without changing the behavior of individuals. To change behavior, you must understand behavior Old-style carrot-and-stick management simply doesn’t work in the modern workplace. People rebel. They resist change. They may change the way they do things for a while, but soon you’ll find they slip back into the old routines.

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The key starting point to changing this dynamic of transformational change is understanding how you and others react in different situations. Only then can you begin to influence and persuade the behavioural change that is necessary to shape alignment of beliefs to the change program. Without this, cognitive dissonance will

continue to flourish and wreck your change initiative. Increase your self-awareness to understand others better

The art of influence and persuasion lies in the ability to interact with others. The higher your emotional intelligence, the better this ability will be. To develop your emotional intelligence, it is first necessary to have a deep understanding of yourself. What is your personality, how do you react in different situations and to different people, and how do you approach people? An emotional intelligence appraisal will identify the skills required to manage your own emotions as well as those of others. This will give insight of your emotional strengths and weaknesses, and enable you to develop the skills to:  Empathize and communicate effectively  Manage the stress change creates  Manage relationships with employees and between colleagues  Help others to manage their emotional responses  Manage resistance to change In the next chapter, we’ll outline the benefits of assessing your change leaders’ emotional intelligence.

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WHY CHANGE LEADERS WILL BENEFIT FROM AN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE APPRAISAL

How an Emotional Intelligence Appraisal creates the motivation for change Resistance to change in the workplace (and in one’s personal life) is a reflex emotional response to disruption, rather than a rational response. By taking an Emotional Intelligence Appraisal, a leader will become more aware of how he or she responds to change, and will be better able to make choices when managing change. Knowledge and skills in emotional intelligence equips managers to pull together a plan to manage change effectively in their organizations. This results in leaders who communicate effectively with their employees and create motivation for change. What is emotional intelligence? An Emotional Intelligence Appraisal will identify the skills required to control and manage one’s own emotions as well as those of others. These are essential skills in the leader’s toolbox, and will increase the ability of anyone to more ably adjust to change, whether that change is professional or personal. Emotional intelligence includes:  Self-awareness: understanding how you respond to certain situations  Self-regulation: understanding that how you respond can be managed, and that the actions you take become a choice rather than a reflex  Social awareness: recognizing and understanding how others feel, what

response is likely in any given situation, and being able to empathize  Relationship management: the ability to communicate effectively with others and express emotions rationally  An emotional intelligence assessment will identify 15 competencies that support all the above skills, in much the same way as an IQ test measures intellectual intelligence. In fact, emotional intelligence is often referred to as ‘EQ’ for this reason. The ability to manage personal response to change is essential to manage resistance and lead change effectively. Fortunately, these essential leadership skills can be learned. Emotional Intelligence Appraisal as a tool to jumpstart change . Change will disrupt the status quo, requiring a move out of personal comfort zones. In the workplace, people may have been doing something a certain way for years. Changing this routine is often seen as threatening, with the reflex response being resistance to the change.

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A manager who is proficient in emotional intelligence will be better able to lead others through a period of change. He or she will be better equipped to:  Empathize and communicate effectively  Develop emotional maturity and manage the stress change creates  Manage relationships with employees and between colleagues  Help others to manage their emotional responses  Manage resistance to change The emotionally intelligent leader will better support managers, team leaders, and employees, and be more able to craft change in the workplace. The manager who is equipped with a high- EQ will manage personal change effectively. These skills can then be transferred to jumpstart change professionally. Psychologist Daniel Goleman authored an exceptional book simply called Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ in 1995 which is superb reading for all, and will help businesses and leaders as they strive to manage change in the workplace and benefit from the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal. Smart people (those with a high IQ) get hired. The people who can lead – those with a high EQ – get promoted. More than this, those with a high EQ are able break habits of a lifetime – an imperative tactic to overcome resistance to change. In the next chapter, we’ll see with a real-life example how being able to break old habits and reform new ones is key to making both personal and organizational change.

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BREAKING HABITUAL RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

 Cannot see the potential created by effective change management To break the habits that are holding you back, you first need to discover the underlying reasons for those habits, and tackle managing change on a personal level. After all, if you can’t change your own habits, how can you change the habits of others and lead your organization through a period of change? Three steps to managing change on a personal level Making effective change management decisions for your own account is not so different from managing change of a department, division, or whole organization. Here are three steps that will make a direct impact to your life and workplace productivity by managing personal change: Step 1: Understand that change is disruptive, even when made on a personal level. Step 2: Commit to the change by considering the benefits to you and those around you (for example, quitting smoking is good for your health and the environment of those around you). Changing a work practice may free-up more time, make it easier to complete tasks, or improve sales figures. When you solidify the rewards in such a manner, managing change takes on a whole new perspective. Step 3: Highlight the benefits and reinforce them. Stay on top of change by continually reminding yourself of the benefits. Over time, these benefits replace previously-hidden fears and reticence that had become the foundation on which previous habits were built. Reference to the risks of the status quo should also be considered: what will be the consequences of reverting to old habits?

“Any new thing we start ends up fizzling out.” The owner of an organization that we worked with – let’s call him Andy – had spent years on growing his company to a decent level of sales and profits. He wanted to shift the organization to the next level, but couldn’t make that breakthrough move and get on top of managing change. If this sounds like you, then it could be that you’ve got an issue of habitual resistance to change. In other words, your ingrained reflex actions are holding you back from reaching your full potential; your natural behaviors are overriding logical courses of action that could propel you and your business forward through effective change management. This isn’t a new phenomenon, nor one limited to the business world. You’ve only got to look at how difficult it is when managing personal change: to quit smoking, or lose those excess holiday pounds put on through overindulgence, for example. Often, we don’t even realize that it is our habits holding us back from achieving the potential we once promised. It is our habits that cause us to revert to our old ways. This is when change fizzles out. Effective change management made personal Habits are reinforced by several factors, many of which remain invisible because they are subconscious behavioral triggers. For instance, it may be that you:  Fear financial (or other) loss should things go wrong  Are satisfied with the status quo

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What happened to Andy? Working with Andy, a business coach helped him to discover some habits that were counterproductive to the motivation to move forward. The coach was able to identify fixed patterns of behavior that were holding him back. At first, Andy was resistant to the changes the coach suggested: he considered some to be removing “a part of me, almost like losing an arm or a leg.” In particular, there were three things that the coach noted and advised: 1. Some of Andy’s habits were symbolic, others ritualistic. For example, his shelves were full of the ‘trophies’ of a fruitful career. There wasn’t any space for more. Symbolically, Andy’s shelves were telling him he had reached the pinnacle of his career, and achieved all he was capable of. The coach had Andy remove some – but not all – of these ‘winner’s badges’. 2. Andy also used to eat lunch at the same restaurant every day, and at the same time. The coach encouraged Andy to try different places and invite different people to join him. 3. Finally, Andy had a habit of scheduling meetings for as soon as he arrived at the office every morning. The coach taught him the value of using the time before 9 a.m. to properly prepare for the day ahead. Andy’s workspace and business life were going to be disrupted. Nevertheless, he committed to the change, reminding himself of the reasons and the potential benefits. Within two weeks, Andy found himself reenergized in his professional life. In less than two months, this new energy had transformed into new business for his

organization. The result was a revitalized company, re-energized staff, and greater personal career satisfaction. Managing change on a personal level is the first step to becoming a business leader adept at effective change management: an essential leadership quality in today’s fast-moving markets. In the final chapter of this book, we’ll look at one of the strategies commonly used by organizations as a tactic to overcome resistance to change: incentivization.

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INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY BY USING THE POWER OF PEAK PERFORMANCE

Can you overcome resistance to change by leveraging incentives? When considering how to incentivize employees, often the first thing that comes to mind is the idea of competitive financial reward. However, today’s workers are motivated less by money and more by other factors. These include the opportunity to become involved in meaningful and challenging work, improvement of life, recognition for efforts, and company culture. In this final chapter, we look at employee incentive program examples that you may be able to adapt for your own organization. These examples of incentive schemes help drive satisfaction at work. They inspire the employee to become engaged in projects, and to act as ambassadors for their employers outside the workplace. They are proven to work, too: each of the examples below is an integral part of what has made their instigators one of the world’s top companies to work for. Searching for the right mix of perks at Google Google has been at the number one spot of best companies to work for seven times in the last ten years. While financial remuneration is good at Google, there are plenty of other perks that create its employee incentive program. As one employee told Fortune magazine: “The company culture truly makes workers feel they’re valued and respected as a human being, not as a cog in a machine. The perks are phenomenal. From three

prepared organic meals a day to unlimited snacks, artisan coffee and tea, to free personal fitness classes, health clinics, on-site oil changes, haircuts, spa truck, bike repair truck, nap pods, free on-site laundry rooms, and subsidized wash and fold. The list is endless.” Insuring the employee incentive program means a good time is had by all When most people think about insurance, they think about mundane, tedious number crunching work. Not those who work at Acuity. Its organizational culture is all about creating a fun atmosphere. There are ping pong tables outside its cafeteria, and they hold regular beach bashes and ‘selfie days’. The company’s flagship event for its staff is the summer family picnic, with cash prizes, rides for all, and a life-size version of foosball. Collaborating to create meaningful work experiences The Boston Consulting Group has created a program called ‘Predictability, Teaming, and Open Communication’ (PTO) to encourage employees to take a greater role in rethinking work processes and increasing work/life balance. The aim is to help employees manage their lives better, increasing the value of work to the organization and the individual. Staff retention numbers have rocketed since the motivational program was introduced.

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Brokering respect and equality The stock market is a high-pressure, volatile environment. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, but not at Robert W. Baird. Its employees benefit from a culture that treats every person with equal respect. All offices are the same size, and there are no executive perks. Common themes of successful employee incentivizing programs The above examples are only four of the top ten in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Throughout this list there are some recurring and constant themes. most obvious is that all the companies that are rated as a great place to work by its employees have an open, honest, and value-driven culture at the heart of everything it does. These companies inspire and motivate employees by providing an environment that respects them. Managers encourage participation in strategy and process re- engineering. It is the employees’ business as well as the shareholders’. Most of the best companies to work for also offer telecommuting opportunities, or flexi-time. This enables people to spend time at home or with children when needed, while also allowing employees to work when they are most productive and unencumbered by the traditional nine-to-five routine. To truly motivate your employees, look beyond financial reward. Develop a culture that encourages openness and collaboration, and honest communication. Ensure your change leaders have the emotional awareness to challenge, inspire, and transform

each employee personally, as they pull the team together to achieve the benefits of organizational change. Remember, too, that when feedback is accepted and acted upon, employees will accept the challenges set to them. They’ll more willingly come on board with project work as their motivation becomes the shared goal of your strategic vision. And that is peak performance in action, and how to overcome resistance to change.

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www.primeast.com/us T: +1 609 642 8821 (USA) | +44 (0) 1423 531083 (EMEA/ASIAPAC)

WORKING WITH YOU TO JUMPSTART CHANGE

Our coaches work with organizations and individuals at the executive level to promote effective change management. That often starts at the personal level, with the changing of habits that are holding the executive and his or her team back from reaching their full potential. Working together, we’ll help you to identify and tackle the issues of habits that are holding you back. You’ll discover new habits that will help you make the career- changing breakthrough, and with coaching you’ll employ the strategies that will help you onboard these new habits. We don’t expect you to forget your professional past and old routine – after all, it is what has given you the success you’ve had; but we will encourage you to find the new habits and behaviors that will jumpstart the next leg of your career. This greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence will enable you to better manage change programs, and develop the strategies and tactics needed to overcome resistance to change in the workplace. Are you ready for the future? Primeast partners with you to transform your leadership and your business by identifying your change needs and helping you reach your goals. We’ll help you create an action plan, and then check in regularly to help keep you committed to change and remain on track. For more information, contact Primeast.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beth Williams brings 25+ years of sales, marketing, management and human/organizational development experience to her role as CEO of Primeast North America. She started her corporate career in the world of advertising and publishing before she founded Forward Focus in 2000. In June 2019, Forward Focus merged with Primeast after a long-standing partnership based on trust, shared values and a common purpose. As CEO of Primeast North America, Beth leads the operations for Primeast in the Americas supported by in-house design, project management and operations teams. Find out more about how Primeast can partner with you in the business of change: beth.williams@primeast.com (USA)

liz.clarkson@primeast.com (EMEA/ASIAPACIFIC) sarah.morgan@primeast.com (EMEA/ASIAPACIFIC) +1 609 642 8821 (USA) +44 (0) 1423 531083 (EMEA/ASIAPACIFIC)

Beth Williams CEO Primeast North America

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www.primeast.com/us T: +1 609 642 8821 (USA) | +44 (0) 1423 531083 (EMEA/ASIAPAC)

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