Here, things are different…

For most people, change is not easy, indeed impossible. It’s not easy to make personal changes and it is harder to make organizational changes in groups, in our work teams. This is more difficult because the change is of course based on several individuals and it must be accepted by all.

Several factors can influence this in teams or organizations. First, there is the fear of failing. For some, change rhymes with anguish and anxiety. What better than our good old slippers to reassure us and secure us!

There is also the question of company culture. If the company does not encourage change or support it, it will be difficult for its players to take on new initiatives, risks, to be creative and bring new ideas for innovation. Not only could these risks not be recognized, but they could even be the source of blame and result in negative action. Players in this type of organization generally prefer the status quo.

Then, there is the change itself that we want to implement, but also those who want to bring this change. It can be difficult to show the added value of a change when teams do not see the benefits of joining-in or adopting the proposed change.

There are, however, several ways to approach these changes, and this can help you mitigate the resistance that may emerge by players in your organization. For example, consider an organization that wants to do a complete agile transformation. Each of the points above must be carefully addressed if you wish to maximize your chances of success and limit this resistance.

First, the fear of failing. The players in your teams must feel that they have the right to make mistakes, that they will be supported by the organization, whether in need of training, coaching or simply to let their creativity flow and try new things.

The culture of the company. Organizations that have a culture of proximity and complicity between managers and their teams will be more successful during their transitions to change. Organizations where employees feel safe, where managers embrace listening and respond to the emerging needs of their teams will help smooth the transition for those impacted by it. Having a more flexible organizational structure also makes change easier to accept. In the context of our example, as the change would be transversal and have an impact on all layers of the organization, it is clear that flexibility is required.

The change itself that we want to implement. It must be of course based on added values for the company such as process improvement, better velocity, greater proximity to the customer or any other desired added value, but it must also bring something concrete to your teams, otherwise they may not want to collaborate to the success of the implementation of it or simply be opposed to it.

Those who want to bring change. Do players have complete confidence in those who wish to make this change? Are they convinced that they are doing it for the right reasons, for a collective purpose in which they are involved?

We can choose to impose change, but if we do not respect these principles, do not be surprised if you received the following answers: “it may have worked somewhere else, but here, things are different… “. Not only might the desired change be much less welcome and smooth, but the transition to it may take a lot more time and money than necessary, especially since at the slightest opening, the initial status will most probably bring things right back to their original state.