Inspiring buy-in requires demonstrating that the proposed change is necessary to the organization's success, ensuring new procedures are clearly understood, and showing that the desired change and resulting improvements are attainable. When team members can see the reason for change, how it will help, and how it can be accomplished, they are much more likely to support its implementation.
Clear, positive, and consistent communication may be the most critical component of successful change. Build a communications plan that focuses on goals and objectives and offers a complete explanation of why the change is necessary. Make sure everyone who is involved in and affected by the change receives this communication early and often, and continuously keep team members informed about the progress being made.
Encourage and recognize team members who support the change. Individuals who see themselves as an integral part of their organization’s success are more motivated, more productive, and more supportive of change, and their energy affects the whole team. Pay careful attention to resistance and have an action plan to address it.
Identify and recruit key leaders at all levels to be the “flag bearers” who will model and support the change within their teams. Ensure that leaders have the authority to enforce the change when complex real-time issues arise that could throw the new methods off course.
When team members can see the reason for change, how it will help, and how it can be accomplished, they are much more likely to support its implementation.
Develop a Plan and Implement It
Change strategists lay the foundation by designing the steps for change. Change implementers manage the day-to-day process of change. Change receivers – the largest group – accept and adapt to the change.
Making change requires patience. Remember that challenges are to be expected:
- Change usually takes longer than anticipated.
- Unforeseen problems are likely to arise.
- Coordinating implementation can be difficult.
- Other crises that arise will compete with the change.
- Initial training may be inadequate and require reinforcement.
- Government and economic factors can derail the new behaviors.
- Insufficient team support will slow change.
- Unclear expectations and goals hinder progress.
Refer to this checklist of steps for successfully implementing change.
- Base any need for change on sound analysis of the organization.
- Create a shared vision.
- Build a nonthreatening participatory implementation process.
- Separate from the past.
- Instill a sense of urgency.
- Support a strong leader role and create broad-based support.
- Develop an implementation plan.
- Establish enabling structures.
- Involve people.
- Reinforce and institutionalize the change.
Adapted from “Implementing Successful Change: Conveying versus Directing,” by Louis J. Pepe. ASBO International School Business Affairs Magazine, January 2005, pp. 18-20.