Employee Resistance: Changing versus Being Changed
For employees, there is a huge difference between being allowed to help design and implement necessary changes in the workplace and having changes imposed on them from "on high." Effective leaders understand that paradigm shifts in the workplace will be met with resistance if employees feel that they have no say in the matter. When a leader works with the employees, outlining the vision of the changes that need to occur, and then letting employees help in actively achieving that vision, changes will be far easier.
Most employees understand that change is inevitable in the workplace, and even when they're attached to an old way of doing things, they usually understand why the new software or new procedure is necessary. The more control they feel that they have over the change, the less they will resist it. Workers want to know why a particular change is needed. Will it save money? Will it make an arduous task easier? Will it improve record-keeping? It is only natural to want to know why changes are happening, and it's only natural to resist changes that feel as if they're being imposed.
Change can be threatening even when they are desired and the reasons for them are understood. Teambuilding during times of workplace change is challenging, but if employees know that their professional development depends on it, and if they know that they have a hand in putting those changes in place, the changes will feel less threatening. Good leadership development depends on keeping employees informed rather than just issuing memos stating when and how new changes will take place. If employees feel like they are being changed for the sake of the organization, they will resist. If, on the other hand, employees feel as if they are actively participating in making changes that improve the workplace, they'll adapt to change much more readily.
