Why Your Team Hates Change

I’m in the change management business. I help leaders create and implement positive changes to improve their financial results. Folks, I must tell you that it’s a big ask because, in general, your team hates change.

Who can blame them? If you agree with my definition of happiness, i.e., “feeling good now and optimistic that you’ll feel good in the future,” then you can also see how people like predictability in their lives. Usually, they have a life plan that’s working pretty well for them, and they don’t particularly want you to come along and possibly screw it up.

Add to this your team’s past experiences with “change initiatives” by former leaders, coaches, and consultants that have long since been abandoned for a different “flavor of the month” approach. Who can blame them for being skeptical?

So, how do you create and maintain positive change? Here are the three cornerstones:

1.    Create and repeat often a clear future vision that is exciting and that has clear benefits for all concerned; this will ensure buy-in and engagement.  

2.    Create a plan to achieve that vision with clear roles and accountabilities.

3.    Create an ongoing measuring and monitoring system to make midcourse corrections (including the plan itself) as needed.

Even still it’s going to be a hard sell to your team. You must be consistent and stay the course to overcome the “flavor of the month” syndrome. You’ll go through what Stephen Haines called “the rollercoaster of change” which mirrors Elizabeth Kublas Ross’s five stages of grief. Things will get worse before they get better. People will be confused about what to do as they learn to change over from old behaviors to new ones.

If you persevere, however, you’ll get that increase in financial results and happiness you wanted. It will feel spectacular! You’ll wonder, “What was the big deal? ,“and then you’ll start planning your next change initiative to get even better results.

Don’t be a stranger. (770) 993-1129. tdockery@TheResolveFirm.com