The Change Curve

Reaction to Change - prepare yourself for different reactions Self Awareness Use your knowledge of your people How have you/they reacted to difficult situations in the past? How do you think you/they will react this time? Be prepared for different reactions

Reactions to change High Low Passive Active Support Reaction to Change Co-Operator “Change is inevitable” Behaviour Puts up with it but does not get involved May be in favour but distracted by other commitments Tactics Give them a role Don’t take their support for granted Recognise and reward them Don’t disappoint them Ask open questions Lots of interaction Ask opinions and use their expertise Champion “How can I spread the word?” Behaviour Enthusiastic support Does the job for you Enthuses others Can-do approach High energy Tactic Keep them inspired Use them to win over resisters Don’t disappoint them Give them time to reflect Engage them and their plans Fence-sitter “Wait and see” Behaviour May be indifferent or waiting to be convinced Easily swayed Not bothered Tactic Take time to understand why they are undecided Describe the benefits of the change for them Show them clear targets and a ‘road map’ Find ways for them to get involved/participate actively Buddy them with a champion Get them to understand the consequences of inaction Support Cynic “Not again” Behaviour May be a natural cynic May be waiting for a role May have seen it all before Often has an ally Can be cynical due to past bad experience Tactic Take time to understand why they are cynical Engage them and tackle their objections Show them change is working Invite them to participate Get them involved in things they care about Find ways to engage and inspire Make clear what will be different this time Saboteur “Not while I’m around” Behaviour May sabotage passively (not making decisions, slowing down plans or actively (striking) Can be overt or covert Tactic Show you understand their perspective but you think differently Try to resolve their concerns Persuade that change is in their interests Isolate ‘hardliners’ if they block progress Use 1:1 coaching Use champions to win them over Low Passive Active Reaction to Change

Resistance is not a function of liking or understanding the change Resistance is not a function of liking or understanding the change. It is a function of disruption It does not matter whether the change is perceived as positive or negative, resistance to change is inevitable The reaction pattern to a Negative Change is caused more by the loss of control than the content of the change Resistance is an inevitable process that must be managed 5 key steps to follows to Manage Resistance to Change: 1. WHAT is causing resistance and WHY? 2. Say what you see (I noticed that...) 3. Hypothetically remove the barrier (What if that were not true?) 4. Understand the base(s) of their resistance (Can’t / won’t? Fear? Logic?...) 5. What Next?..... How can we work together to make this happen? What actions will you take?

Recognise how you can support yourself/people through change Identify some short term wins – nothing motivates like success! Encourage risk taking, new ideas, activities and actions. Involving people along the way helps them to understand what’s in it for them. Remember that there are lots of examples from history of many failures before a great success, so encouragement from you could lead to more benefits than you ever expected. Recognise and reward people who made the wins possible. Differentiate between those who are championing the change and those who aren’t. And those who are not either are likely to follow those with the loudest voices…..

Thank you for listening