Change management: solving challenges & 3 common problems

#1. Employee resistance

Few of us like change. And while that's ok, a business must evolve to remain agile and competitive.

Resistance to change can start anywhere in an organization. Executives may not want to spend money. Departments may not recognize broader organizational needs, as long as their system works. The result? Key stakeholders and decision-makers may not immediately see how the changes will benefit the organization holistically.

Further resistance can come from a change in the routine. Employees may worry about what might happen to their role and their job. Even after the change, employees may still resist if they feel new workflows make their jobs harder.

You need a multifaceted approach to overcome this hurdle.

Be transparent. Workers want to know the reason for the change, not just the high-level benefits it will provide. Acknowledging problems and explaining how this change will solve them can build buy-in and cooperation.

Provide ample training. An effective training program for new technology, workflows, and processes is vital for a smooth transition.

Get management and executives involved. Employees want to see leadership engaged and invested in the effort. When executives get involved, it shows that a clear plan is in place. It also improves communication and makes it easier for both managers and executives to respond to employee concerns.

#2. Communication issues

Communication deserves extra attention. It's the area where many organizations stumble. Many businesses communicate value to their customers clearly, but they often struggle with internal communication with employees.

Common communication downfalls include:

• Limited, or too little, communication

• Not enough channels of communication (i.e., email, in meetings, website)

• Failure to keep all stakeholders informed and involved in follow-ups.

Every change management plan should ensure clear, consistent communication across all channels to engage in a constructive conversation between staff and management.

Your communication should also include essential details. Tell people when events will happen and what to expect. Successful information communicates the correct information.

Fortunately, you can prevent communication issues with advanced planning. Make a communication strategy part of your change management plan. Detail who will do what. Determine a schedule ahead of time that includes the channels you'll use, such as:

• Email

• Intranet

• Mail

And don't forget in-person communication through meetings and impromptu conversations!

Also, give employees avenues to share their concerns and address those concerns regularly.

#3. Implementing new technologies

Few changes cause as many headaches for people at all levels of an organization as implementing technology. New equipment, tools, and workflows change the way everyone works.

Without a well-directed plan, the disruption can significantly decrease productivity instead of increasing it, leading to frustration. This can happen even if the new technology automates systems and workflows to require fewer steps and simplify the workload!

Often, situations like this occur because of a need or desire to get new technologies up and running fast, reducing training and transition time.

Phased rollouts work best. By introducing new technologies over weeks or months, you can overcome this issue. You'll also avoid the 70% failure rate of change management initiatives (according to Harvard Business Review).1 Plus, building in extra time allows for testing and addressing deployment issues - these often only present themselves during "live" implementation.

To make the most of training, offer multiple training opportunities. Ideally, you want to avoid one-off training sessions that speed through how it all works. Instead, plan for several sessions and provide opportunities for employees to attend more than one. This approach empowers employees to become comfortable with new equipment and processes.

For example, these resources share change management strategies for a printer upgrade, although the principles presented can be applied to any organizational change.