Assignment 5: Change Management Plan
RESISTANCE AND COMMUNICATION 7
Resistance and Communication
Eric Brown
Dr. Waldo
HRM 560
February 20, 2017
Resistance and Communication: Google
Overview
Organizational change is imperative for steering an organization in the right direction in times of difficulty and when making novel introductions in a company (Foster, 2010). With the fast transforming nature of organizations in the contemporary world, organizational change is arguably one of a number of inevitable activities that companies are bound to execute. Change, when implemented the right way, has the potential to accrue a broad spectrum of benefits to an organization. Hence, through the use of various change tools, organizations often gain the capability to offer much-needed guidance to their team of workers as regards the most feasible way through which they can contribute to their prosperity (Rothaermel, 2015). While employees usually acclimatize to the demands of an array change initiatives, the presentation of certain change measures tend to receive lukewarm reactions from workers. As such, the ensuing discussion explicates the probable explanations for employee resistance to Google’s change plan, as well as ways through which the organization can minimize resistance to change management.
Discussion
Resistance to change can be caused by a vast repertoire of explanations. Regarding the organization that forms the principle focus of this discussion, the potential causes of resistance in the company may take in the lack of competence, inappropriate communication, misapprehension of the necessity for change, not being consulted, as well as emotional attachment to routine. Fear usually crops up several times due to the unknown. In such instances, the involved party is not informed of the change, as well as how the transformation may impact their day to day lives and may only go ahead with work owing to the greater fear of idling. With this firmly noted, a lack of competence may arise as regards catching on transitioning matters or even holding the belief that the change is needed (Foster, 2010). Workers who have performed a particular process for a long time will typically feel that change is not of the essence and may have problems with the transformation of the routine overall. Emotional attachment may be tied to the manner in which an individual feels about given transformations and gets complicated when dealing with workers who have held certain roles or have tenure with the company (Hodges & Gill, 2014). Failure to be consulted and being less forthcoming as regards the change is also certainly bound to induce resistance.
Resistance to change can, to a large extent, arise from improper communication, which starts with upper-level management. The manner in which the details of the change are communicated to the rest of the workforce and how queries and grievances are fielded are crucial matters to address before changes are put into effect. On many occasions, second handed information simply increases the resistance, and that information is distorted and imprecise when communication is ineffective within the leadership (Foster, 2010). Feeling kept out by the company rather than an open solicitation to see to it that everyone is afforded a chance to share their thoughts or ideas results in the creation of barriers to resistance too. More often than not, when workers come to know of a sudden change, they may take offense if their input was not included. The self-interest of the workers rather than the company can equally result in resistance to change. A person may only think of furthering their own agenda or preserving the status quo in such circumstances. The inappropriate communication brings about the anxiety of the incumbent and may concurrently sow seeds of distrust. Finally, insecurity may also bring about resistance to the change plan as an individual becomes comfortable in a setting and transformations to that setting may create some level of uncertainty.
The most feasible plan for minimizing possible resistance to change management plan relates to clear communication. Concisely put, a change plan can only attain the support of all if the appropriate communication channels are exploited to see to it that everyone is on the same page (Quirke, 2012). Change plans usually detail the central notions that all employees need to focus on for their period of their employment. Since a new change plan consequentially comes with particular transformations to its core ideas, it is crucial that the organization employs appropriate communication channels to ensure that all employees are fed with the right information as regards the change plan. Succinctly, communication offers the most effectual plan for the minimization of possible resistance.
Based on the assessment of various organizational experts, a well-planned communication plan is of the utmost imperative if the change is to be implemented effectively. One of the primary uses of change communication is to notify workers regarding the change. This informative role of communication will have an effect on worker readiness, as well as their acceptance of the change (Quirke, 2012). Without communication, workers will undoubtedly usually feel blindsided. Accepting change under such circumstances is virtually impossible as the absence of communication merits distrust. If the company is reluctant in sharing its vision, then the guess is that the company is headed in a dissimilar direction overall and that it excludes the existing batch of employees.
Various communication strategies are available for use when introducing change. Firstly, education and communication would be applied in situations where there is no information or precise information. Once the involved parties are notified, they will usually offer their assistance when implementing the change. Further, participation and involvement would be applied where the involved parties lack all the data required for designing the change and where other people have significant resistance power. Hence, individuals who participate will exhibit a commitment to the implementation of the change (Hodges & Gill, 2014). Lastly, negotiation and agreement would be applied where a group has significant power to resist the change, hence the need to sit down with such persons in a bid to find some middle ground regarding the proposed change. This strategy sometimes presents a relatively simple way of reducing major resistance.
Further, I would use the underscore and explore communication strategy for the organization under focus. Just as the tell-and-sell strategy, this approach entails the management having a focus on a few key messages. However, unlike the tell-and-sell strategy, managers and leaders afford the rest of the workforce the creative freedom they require to survey the implications of the matters. Those who adopt this particular strategy are not only concerned with a handful of key messages but also with listening conscientiously for possible misapprehensions and unrecognized impediments (Hodges & Gill, 2014). In essence, workers know the daily operations of a company and have a good comprehension of areas that call for improvement. Asking for feedback even if it is not employed immediately can have a considerable inherent value for both the employer and the worker.
Finally, the communications plan for the change initiative must be relevant to the audience. The technique of communication will entail weekly occurrences and will vary between a range of methods including newsletters, face-to-face, and internal media. The kinds of messages communicated will establish the type of interaction and feedback that is always welcome. Any messages regarding the change having an impact on the team of workers would always be disseminated face-to-face.
References
Foster, R. D. (2010). Resistance, justice, and commitment to change. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 21(1), 3-39.
Hodges, J., & Gill, R. (2014). Sustaining change in organizations. Sage.
Quirke, M. B. (2012). Making the connections: using internal communication to turn strategy into action. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
Rothaermel, F. T. (2015). Strategic management. McGraw-Hill.