Top Tier Managers

How do we head off resistance and achieve workforce buy-in to our plans for systemic change?

Change Management
People Management

We were asked by an international healthcare organisation to help them lead internal and external stakeholders through what was anticipated to be unpopular change.

Our brief was to answer the following:

How do we put our people at the heart of the change process, demonstrating compassion and commitment at every step of a difficult journey?

  • What do we need to do to plan a positive and motivational path through challenging change?
  • How do we communicate the right messages to the right people in the right way at the right time?
  • What steps can we take to recognise and overcome resistance to change, keeping the plan on track?

The solution

Working with a 360 Change Coach, leaders were shown how a successful – but sometimes rocky – outcome is dependent on keeping employees at all levels invested in the change process, from inception to conclusion. We identified five key areas where people could be put at the heart of the change process and explored the steps leaders needed to take to make it happen. We showed how spending time articulating concrete benefits, and preparing a change narrative – a road map of where the company is heading and why – can drive engagement and commitment. Our Change Coach encouraged listening to employees about their feelings of lack of control and talking to them in a spirit of openness, surfacing concerns and pain points.

Results

Leaders felt better equipped to navigate the challenges, sharing experiences and agreeing actions on a regular basis. As a result of the team coming together to explore progress the change itself was better aligned, with more consistent messaging and focused action.