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It’s possibly the biggest question any change leader faces: “How can I make sure this change stays changed?” Figuring out what needs to change, who needs to change and why is all well and good, but people don’t change their behavior easily. Here are ten tips to help make sure your change initiative lasts.
1. Communicate Clearly
Communication is the root of all successful change, but also one of the easiest ways to sabotage it. Be clear and specific about what you want people to do differently, and make sure they’ve understood your message.
Vague generalizations about “being more customer focused” or “taking a positive attitude to new ideas” are going to be hard to make happen without some concrete examples of what people should actually do to exemplify those ideas. You need specific actions that are measurable and demonstrable, like responding to customers on social media within an hour, for example.
2. Set an Example
You absolutely must be a role model for the change you want to see. You have to live and breathe it every day. If there is a new software system, make sure not only that you are using it, but visibly using it. Talk to people about it and ask how they’re finding it. Discuss what you’ve learned about it and ask for their thoughts. They need to know you’re in this together.
3. Stick to a Few Things at a Time
Changing too much at once is a good way to fail. Try to pick a few of the most crucial things to change and focus on those. If you hit people with too many changes, you’re at risk of confusing and overwhelming them, which isn’t going to motivate them to follow your lead.
4. Reinforce and Remind
When taking on a new skill or process, people don’t just need time to learn, they need to reflect and practice. Make sure that, whatever the change is, everyone has a chance to implement it regularly - and soon! Also, try to place triggers and reminders in everyone’s path. For example, you could send out regular emails drawing attention to the change, or even have automated reminders set up to be triggered when someone begins a job that should now be done differently. Anything that keeps the change at the forefront of their minds, especially at the right times, is worth doing.
5. Don’t Make Tweaks Too Soon
If you come across difficulties with a new setup, don’t be tempted to make amendments immediately, unless it’s clear there is a genuine problem. Give the change time to bed in and let people become accomplished at it before you make decisions as to whether any further tweaks are needed. It’s too easy to make early adjustments back towards previous behavior, just because it’s familiar.
6. Monitor and Measure
To really know if change is working, you need to be able to measure it. Agree standards of measurement in advance. Communicate these openly, so that everyone is clear about what is going to be measured, and when. Hopefully, you’ve already worked out specific behavior changes (see point 1), so it should be possible to see if these are happening or not.
7. Set a Deadline
A lack of deadline for people to make a change can leave it feeling a bit wooly and unreal, so set a date by which everyone will have to demonstrate new behaviors. This could be a team meeting to discuss what everyone thinks about the new setup, or even a date where access to an old system will be switched off, forcing people to adopt the new one. However you mark it, make sure everyone knows there is a target they will be held to.
8. Structure Positive Reinforcements
Rewarding positive behaviors is a big part of motivating people to change, but it’s important that it’s done consistently and systematically. Taking an ad hoc approach to praising people for their behavior is likely to lead to missing some people out – potentially creating divisions and resentment. So agree ways in which you can build in structured positive reinforcements, like an automatic email in response to using a new procedure or discussing progress during regular 1-to-1s with everyone.
9. Update Policies and Job Descriptions
It might seem like a technicality, but if you’re changing something that affects policies or job descriptions, make sure you update those, too. Not only is it a clear signal that you’re absolutely serious about making the change, it removes ambiguity, and a potential excuse for people who are reluctant to change.
10. Round up Stragglers
When it all boils down, it’s possible some people simply won’t want to change. Whether actively speaking out against changes or more passively sticking to old routines, you’ll need to address this head on. Try to do this as early as possible, to prevent their example being followed by others. There are many ways to address resistance to change, but the key is getting to the root of why people are resisting. The sooner you can do this, and get them onside, the better!
