Essay --

4.15 Addressing resistance It is important to gain employees support by keeping them well informed and involved during the change process. Piderit (2000) stated in a quote saying ‘’successful organizational adaptation is increasingly reliant on generating employee support and enthusiasm for proposed changes, rather than merely overcoming resistance’’. 56 M: ‘’I believe people should be informed as to the need for change and encouraged by senior management. Perhaps the promise of extra benefits or a pay rise once change has been successfully implemented would provide a degree of motivation’’. E1: ‘’Create open communication channels with employees in order to keep them informed about the process and to gain their support’’. The question asked about how resistance was addressed received mixed responses, the manager was seeking a motivational factor to encourage employees not resist in the shape of a pay rise, which is very logical, however the employee’s response was more about being informed in order to be supportive. Therefore what is required is to prepare employees for change, and this can be done via effective communication in the shape of seminars, newsletters, face-to-face meetings and other means. Some factors add to the fire of resistance rather than minimise it, a breakdown in communication channels or the communication of the wrong message is vital. Maintaining consistency of the message by ensuring the validity and reliability of the message is of particular importance to ensure that the correct message is delivered. CEO: ‘’Poor understanding caused by poor communication, communication is not briefing and telling people, communication is sending the message out, having it received and repeated back to you and you confirm... ...nderestimated, (ii) the benefits that could be achieved if it is done correctly and more importantly (iii) the problems that could be caused if you don’t address resistance to change’’. In response to my question about the lessons learnt, the three points highlight in a way or another, the importance of communication. To my understanding employee engagement in this context means the creation of a dialogue and opening of communication channels, delivering a message via the dialogue and ensuring that the message is repeated back to ensure validity of the message. The third point addresses and affirms that there could be obstacles that could surface if we don’t recognise the importance of addressing resistance to change. 60 Chapter 5: Discussions and Analysis of Findings "If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude" Maya Angelou