Involve Your People in Change
Organisations are forever changing, they are never static as they respond to new opportunities and challenges. Whether it is:
- Changing the phone system
- Moving offices
- Reducing staff
- Migrating to a new computer system
- Changing the way work is done
Energising Change
Yet very often change is more difficult than it should be. The reason for this is often a very basic one – the people affected by the change have not been involved in the process of change.
Without this involvement, they start to imagine the worst, start to feel that those in charge are incompetent because they can’t see what they can see and resistance starts to build.
One good way to involve people in change is to apply the thinking and practice of Appreciative Inquiry.
This makes a difference because it always starts with a positive question and people are asked to think how things could be.
In this way their voice is heard and an energy for change is developed. Other practices may need to be part of the change process, good project management for example, but without involving your people, it will be much harder than it need be.
