Process Change Management Can be Emotional !

Implementing changes in an organization can generate a range of emotions within your stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, etc.) that can create barriers to realizing your original change objectives.  Understanding why people are responding the way they are to your proposed changes will help you to roll-out your improvements more smoothly and allow you to obtain the buy-in from your stakeholders that will actually deliver the performance improvement your changes were designed to realize.

When you start to communicate change and improvement throughout your organization you will take your stakeholders through five phases or states of mind.  Each phase is a normal emotional state that most people go through.  Developing a communication plan to help guide your stakeholders through each phase, with prepared responses for each one, can ensure a successful roll-out for your changes and improvements.


What are these phases of change and how should you respond?

1. Anticipation - introduce your strategy.
2. Confrontation - respond to objections.
3. Realization - provide training and support.
4. Depression - communicate monthly.
5. Acceptance - Review and obtain feedback.

Understanding why people are responding the way they are to your proposed change will help you to roll-out your improvements more successfully and obtain stakeholder-buy-in that will actually deliver the performance improvement your changes were designed to realize.