Question

During this discussion, you will investigate methods of overcoming resistance to change. Define and discuss the five phases in the life cycle of resistance to change. Also discuss driving forces and restraining forces toward a change program. In addition, you will also want to discuss the strategies to increase motivation for change.

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Answer 1

Improving Communication and Widespread education regarding the necessity for change, facilitating participation and involvement through training programs, support and facilitation through continuous learning, agreement & negotiation with employee groups, co-optation & manipulation, both explicit and implicit coercion etc are some of the methods of overcoming resistance to change. In addition, mehtods like setting targets, being persuasive, showing passion, giving more responsibility and empowering creativity and innovation can also be employed to overcome the resistance to change.

The five phases in the resistance to change life cycle

In the first phase, only a few people see the need for change. Resistance to change is massive in this phae. In the second phase, change is understood more and people become more used to it. It becomes possible to identify forces for and against the change process. In the third phase, there is a direct conflict between the opposing forces. In the next phase, resistance will be much less. Any residual resistance can be seen as being stubborn. The resistors will try their best to shift the balance of power. In the final phase, the resisters to change become very few are are alienated just as advocates to change in the first phase.

Driving forces are the forces which are for change and restraining forces are forces resisting change. There will be no change in an organization when there is an equilibrium between both driving forces and restraining forces. A desire for performance and profitability, greater competition, technological change, higher input costs, ageing and declining business, conflicts between departments, need for flexibility in organizational structure etc are some of the driving forces. Habit, fear of unknown, self interests, inability to clearly assess the situation, structural inertia, failure of change initiatives in the past etc are some of the restraining forces.

Strategies to increase motivation for change

• Aligining the employee goals with the company's goals is great way to increase the motivation for change. This will inherently increase the motivation for change.
• Transparency and keeping the communication open is another way to increase the motivation for change. This will clear their doubts and will make them more involved in the process, effectively making them more motivated for change.
• In addition to educating the employees, care must be taken to see that the new methods are internalized and deeply understood by the employees. This will inherently motivate the employees.
• Giving incentives and rewards is another great way to increase the motivation for change.