You’ve got your big performance improvement project/s defined and you’ve established the team of people who will deliver them. You’re excited, the project team is excited!
Let me tell you…the people you’re about to inflict change on are not excited. They are nervous, resistant, and a part of them hopes you will fail. This isn’t them being negative or unsupportive, this is them being human.
The thing about humans is that we establish a way of doing things, a routine, and we become really comfortable living in it. The longer we’ve been living in that routine, the more dependent we are upon it for personal and financial fulfillment, the more resistant we are to someone disrupting it.
So along you come with your performance improvement team with grand plans to change the way the organisation operates. You are the disrupter! Cue nervousness, resistance, and negativity!
Smart business owners and project teams realize that you have to have respect & empathy for the people you are about to inflict change upon. When you show respect and empathy the impacted people not only stop being nervous, resistant, and negative, but they become the biggest supporters of your project and actively help you to deliver it.
It’s so important to get this right. Here are our 4 tips on how to show respect and empathy to your impacted staff.
- Understand who is impacted by the project & develop an engagement plan
Map out the people that are impacted by the change. Clearly understand the changes from the current state, to the future state and how it benefits each person. You need to tell people what’s changing, but more importantly, why that change will benefit them and the organisation.
- Get out of your office & talk to people (early!)
You have to invest the time to engage the impacted people properly. It can’t be done sitting in your office.
Go and talk to them. Let them voice their concerns and ask all the questions they like. Answer honestly and openly. If you don’t know the answer don’t BS. Make a commitment to come back to them when you do have the answer.
- Involve them in delivering the project
Find the people who are particularly passionate about their job/section of the business and are well respected by their colleagues. Get these people involved in the project. Ask them their opinion on key parts. They will not only pick up on elements you overlooked, but they will feel like they are part of the solution, and will actively promote the project with their fellow team members.
When a well-respected member of the business tells his team members that the project is a good idea it has 100% more impact and credibility than an outsider telling them the same message.
- Give a little to earn respect & commitment
There are small, annoying issues in every section of every business. These have been there forever, but no one has got around to fixing them. They can usually be fixed easily and at minimal cost. Show some good faith to the impacted people by seeking out and fixing these issues before you deliver your major projects.
This will enable you to build a relationship with the impacted people, prove that you are here to help, increase your credibility, and will increase the support for your major projects.
About 3 Ps in Profit
Our Vision: Enabling more Australian small & medium businesses to succeed & thrive through genuine partnerships that deliver performance improvement & growth.
Our Mission: Improving & growing Australian small & medium businesses by focusing on the three fundamental elements that drive performance; planning & alignment, processes & systems, and people.
Want to find our more? We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your performance improvement objectives and how we can help you achieve them.