3 ways to help your employees embrace change

Help your employees embrace the changes you want and need by capturing their heads AND their hearts.

Most of us don’t resist change; we resist being changed by someone else without understanding the what, why, and how of that change.

As leaders, our employees’ greatest dread is that they no longer control their destiny and that they may not be relevant in the future state of the business, whether that’s a culture change or a strategy shift.

The reality is, people want to be part of something big – to be connected with a purpose greater than themselves. And we all know people give and achieve more when they understand the big-picture workings of the business and where it wants to go in the future.

So how is it that we can allay our people’s fears and transcend their worries so they are able to understand and embrace the changes we want and need to make at work?

Well, in a few ways. But most importantly, we need not only their intellectual commitment, we need their emotional buy-in. It’s the heads AND the hearts. Without both, we fall short of total engagement. And without engagement, we have no execution.

Here are 3 ways you can capture your employees’ attention, understanding, and dedication in service of achieving your change goals:

1. Show and do, don’t just tell

People learn in all kinds of different ways. Some are visual learners, some are auditory learners, some need to write things down. Psychologist Jerome Bruner has uncovered studies that show while people only remember 10 percent of things they hear and 20 percent of what they read, around 80 percent of people remember things they see or do. So we say, do them all!

Instead of simply telling people what you’re changing and the role they play in that, get interactive! Show them the big picture of where you are today, where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and where they fit. Role play. Gamify. Discuss. Keep the lines of communication open throughout the change process so there’s room and fodder for continuous improvement.

2. Use metaphors to create emotional connections

Metaphors help synthesize information, data, and concepts into something simple. And most importantly, they illustrate the drama of what might happen if nothing changes. (For example, if we don’t make this shift to enter a new market, we’ll have a tough time growing and it could jeopardize our bonus structure and hiring plans.)

Somewhere in that scenario, people start to recognize how it’s going to affect them. And if you put it into a metaphor of the accounting department sitting on the edge of a glacier that’s crumbling into the sea, it makes the weight of the situation both real and memorable.

3. Be authentic and transparent

Most leaders stand on a platform at a town hall meeting or use a video to announce a new strategy or change initiative, and there’s typically very little that feels “real” about this. Empathy is a much better place to start. Show people you understand how they feel. Let them see that while you may not have all the answers right this moment, you are with them for the ride and together, you’ll all figure out how to make this change.

Share your fears. This helps people feel validated and builds trust. If you want your people to be intellectually and emotionally invested in your change, you have to have the empathy and courage to be real, expose your vulnerability, and show that it’s safe to take risks.

This is a great start but there is so much more to learn about how to get the most discretionary effort from your people. Contact us to see how Advantage can help you engage your people in change!