How can we urge them to adapt more readily to change?

Getting employees to change their behaviors can be a frustrating and challenging undertaking. Employees often don't see the value of performing their jobs differently, are concerned over personal loss(es) that may result from the change, and/or feel that the change is not in their own
best interest or in the best interest of the organization.

However, organizations can be designed to be more adaptive over time. One of the quickest ways to encourage change is to tie rewards and recognition to theappropriate performance. For the best results, the reward should be immediate and public.

Public recognition is important because it not only reinforces the behavior of the individual, but it
broadcasts your expectations to the other employees and sends the message that they will benefit from supporting the change initiative.

To most effectively promote change, it is also imperative that you:

• Communicate Change Early and Often. At the onset of the change initiative, describe what is involved in the change and explain your expectations in as much detail as possible. The sooner you communicate change, the more inclined employees will be to accept changes in the future. The absence of communication usually creates rumors that are far worse than the actual facts. So, even if you have no new information to report, say so.

• Get Employees Involved. If individuals feel they have input in the design, development, and implementation of the changes, they will be more inclined to maintain them, and do so in a positive manner.

• Locate Your Central Employees. Central employees are those individuals who yield a particular level of influence over other employees. Central employees can be an asset if they can be convinced early on that the change(s) are necessary, beneficial, and relatively painless.

• Plan and Celebrate Successes. Set attainable goals for your department and celebrate when you reach them. Employee celebration not only boosts morale, it also increases roductivity and work quality.

• Cultivate an Open Environment. It is essential that you cultivate an environment in which employees feel comfortable disclosing and possibly disagreeing with you. Offer vehicles for employee feedback, such as a suggestion box or a Q&A portion of your departmental newsletter. Repeatedly state that your door is open and publicly recognize those who take advantage of it. Also, if you receive negative feedback, do not persecute those who speak up.