Innovation & Project Management Pills

Tag: change

  • Reactions to Change – Pill 026

    Reactions to Change – Pill 026

    Change by definition is “to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone”. After talking about how to prepare and execute change, let’s see which reactions can be experienced.

    People can react in different ways to change that impact them somehow.

    Reactions to change may take many forms.

    1. ACTIVE RESISTANCE is the most negative reaction to a proposed change attempt. Those who engage in active resistance may sabotage the change effort and be outspoken objectors to the new procedure.
    2. Then we can experience PASSIVE RESISTANCE involves being disturbed by changes, without necessarily voicing these opinions. Instead, passive resisters may dislike the change quietly, feel stressed and unhappy, and even look for a new job, without necessarily bringing their concerns to the attention of decision makers. 
    3. COMPLIANCE, involves going along with proposed changes, with little enthusiasm. 
    4. Finally, those who show ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT are defenders of the new way and actually encourage others around them to give support to the change effort as well.

    To be successful, any change attempt will need to overcome resistance on the part of employees. Otherwise, the result will be loss of time and energy, as well as an inability on the part of the organization to adapt to the changes in the environment and make its operations more efficient. 

  • Executing change – Pill 025

    Executing change – Pill 025

    After preparing for change is time for the executing. At this stage, the organization implements the planned changes on technology, structure, culture, or procedures. The specifics of how change should be executed will depend on the type of change. However, there are two tips that may facilitate the success of a change effort.


    PROVIDE SUPPORT: As the change is under way, employees may experience high amounts of stress. They may make mistakes more often or experience uncertainty about their new responsibilities or job descriptions. Management has an important role in helping employees cope with this stress by displaying support, patience, and continuing to provide support to employees even after the change is complete.

    CREATE SMALL WINS: During a change effort, if the organization can create a history of small wins, change acceptance will be more likely. If the change is large in scope and the payoff is a long time away, employees may not realize change is occurring during the transformation period. 


    However, if people see changes, improvements, and successes along the way, they will be inspired and motivated to continue the change effort. For this reason, breaking up the proposed change into phases may be a good idea because it creates smaller targets. 

    Small wins are also important for planners of change to make the point that their idea is on the right track. Early success gives change planners more credibility while early failures may be a setback.

  • Preparing for change – Pill 024

    Preparing for change – Pill 024

    As their definition, Projects bring change most of the times, since they deliver something new to the organization, and unique. So what to keep in mind when delivering a Project?

    Many change efforts fail because people are insufficiently prepared for change. When people impacted by the project (that we should have mapped within the Stakeholders) are not prepared, they are more likely to resist the change effort and less likely to function effectively under the new system. 
    What can organizations do before change to prepare stakeholders? There are a number of things that are important at this stage. 

    Do people know what the change entails, or are they hearing about the planned changes through the grapevine or office gossip? 


    When employees know what is going to happen, when, and why, they may feel more comfortable.

    Research shows that those who have more complete information about upcoming changes are more committed to a change effort.

    Moreover, in successful change efforts, the leader not only communicates a plan but also an overall vision for the change. When this vision is exciting and paints a picture of a future that employees would be proud to be a part of, people are likely to be more committed to change.

    So it’s fundamental to share the objectives and goals early in the project to be sure that everyone is aligned and can embrace the change that will occur.