Anna-Typing-On-Laptop — *Photo by* *Monika Meska*

4 ways to make change easier in the workplace

“People don't resist change, they resist being changed.” ~Peter Senge

Let’s be honest, change is not easy… Managing change in the workplace can feel difficult and daunting but it doesn’t have to be that way.

When we try to change others, we often come up against resistance. When they choose to change, change becomes easier. So it’s our job as a leader to inspire and help others realise that, at the heart of it all, they want to change too.

When we understand the emotions that people experience in the face of change we can guide them by confronting the core issues that they face.

By building people's ‘change muscles’ we can help them to develop agility and resilience to better respond to and implement change.

Initiating change in the workplace is not just a process that we implement in organisations. We need to bring people on board with that change.

Here are four ways to make change easier and to encourage others to join in the journey of change:

1/ Experiment with change

We are more comfortable with familiar dysfunction than with unknown new possibilities of better.

Make change safe by introducing your idea as something to try for a period of time and learn from. “Can we try this for a week and see how it goes? Can we try this new thing alongside doing it the old way? “

2/ Words have power!

It is not about what you intend to say, more about what the other person hears. Words have power! They can inspire and destroy so choose wisely.

Instead of ‘This is not working, you are doing it wrong, here’s how to do it better’ reframe it to ‘This is good, how can we take it to the next level together?’. Always ask how you can help.

3/ Take people on the journey

Openly share what you want to improve and why, ask people for their feedback on how things are going, and what ideas they have to make it better.

From that feedback, shape and share a change roadmap that considers their viewpoints and suggestions.

4/ Introduce change in small chunks

Do not rewrite the rule book entirely all at once. It will take too long and you will get it wrong. The world will change by then. Instead, pilot changes in small groups, reflect on how it is going and adapt based on feedback.

These four ways can apply to both organisations and our personal lives.

Ultimately change is personal…. at all levels! You can not create change without getting people on board and without them buying into it at a human level.