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Implementing change within an organization is rarely an easy task due to the general resistance that people have towards change. Organizational change can affect the psyche of individuals within the organization differently, and changes in one of part of the organization may have ripple effects to other parts of the organization. In practice, the ripples from even simple changes in an organization can be difficult to predict, and thus difficult to manage (Palmer, Dunford, & Buchanan, 2017). Implementing organizational change effectively begins with strong leadership that understands how to manage the resistance to change that all organizations will inevitably face.

Three Reasons for Resistance to Change

In the article "Overcome the Five Main Reasons People Resist Change" by Lisa Quast (2012), the author identifies reasons people are resistant to organizational change. The three reasons that stood out to me where how the changes would impact employees, fear of the unknown/surprise, and loss of job security/control. These three factors are closely related because they all deal with employees are directly affected personally and the emotional and financial impact the changes will have, resulting in the resistance. Employees are concerned about job security because for most people their jobs provide their livelihoods, so the prospect of changes that may result in unexpected layoffs becomes unnerving. This causes fear among employees that they will lose their jobs or be moved into other positions without their input (Quast, 2012). These type of changes are generally announced within a time-frame that doesn't allow for people to prepare for the changes, furthering the resistance to the change.

Resistance Within My Organization

Fear of the Unknown/Surprise occurred within my organization in the past year as my department underwent changes to automate processes that would reduce the manual workload of employees. The organization announced the changes in the process and how it would reduce workloads, but failed to communicate effectively to employees how it would affect their jobs. Employees immediately began to question whether layoffs would ensue since the workloads were being reduced by up to 50%. Quast (2012) states When change (especially what is perceived as negative change) is pushed onto people without giving them adequate warning and without helping them through the process of understanding what the change will include and how their jobs/work will be affected, it can cause people to push back against the change due to their fear of the unknown. The rumblings of fear became so pronounced three months into the change senior leadership began having town hall meetings and all employee meetings to address the concerns.

Overcoming Resistance

As a leader the approach I would have taken to overcoming the resistance to this change would be to ensure clear communication is made before and during the change process. Understanding the potential resistors to change can help to mitigate those factors before they rise. Eliminate fear of the unknown by letting affected groups know there will be changes coming (Quast, 2012). If change is necessary, it's vitally important leadership communicate the vision for why the changes are being made, how those changes are going to impact employees, and why the changes will be beneficial for the organization. Leadership must gain trust by communicating a vision of change that employees will buy in, alleviating some of the fear and uncertainty that change brings. An effective vision of change is one that can assure followers that whatever is going to change, those aspects that constitute the organizational identity will be preserved (Venus, Stam, & Knippenberg, 2019). The onus is upon leadership to convey continuity through change.