A Plan for Overcoming Employee Resistance

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A Plan for Overcoming Employee Resistance Management must understand that organizational changes will create some employee resistance. Most people do not really hate change. They hate change being forced on them and do not like the discomfort that transition brings. Therefore, the natural tendency is to resist any change because it makes a person feel out of control (Rosenberg, 1992). There are three steps a manager can take to reduce the resistance to a major organizational change. The first step is allowing people time to absorb the news and prepare themselves. The second step is communicating as much information as possible to the employees. When a change is about to occur, people get anxious about learning new things and have a fear of making mistakes. Personnel need to read and digest as much information as they can to get used to the changes coming their way. A third step a manager should take is to encourage participation from the employees. When employees participate in planning and implementing a change, they feel as though they have some control over their jobs and this relieves some of their anxiety (Rosenberg, 1992). Employee resistance will be the strongest in the unfreezing stage of the organizational change. A good communication plan will help a manager build trust with the employees so that when they receive the news of a major change they do not panic and become resistant. The communication plan should include preliminary information, who will be affected, and where employees can get more information on the project. This plan will help to create a surprise-free environment and minimize employee stress (Laframboise, Nelson, & Schmaltz, 2003). A manager should take the time to explain why the changes are necessary and how these changes will help the company achieve its vision (David, 2004). Weekly division staff meetings and quarterly “all hands”

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