Discussion Invitation: Addressing Reactions to Change

The following is sample e-mail text for inviting team members to a

discussion about addressing the reactions to a change initiative. You can edit
the text as needed to fit your situation.
Subject: Discussion on Addressing Reactions to Change
Even if weve taken all the steps necessary to successfully communicate
about and implement a change program, you may find that peoples
reactions to change vary. Some people welcome the change, while others
resist it. As leaders, its our job to understand peoples perceptions, leverage
this information, and take action to deal with peoples individual reactions.
To help enable the success of our change initiatives, please join me on
[INSERT DATE/TIME/LOCATION] to discuss how to address the various
reactions to change.
Before the discussion, please review the Harvard ManageMentor topic
Change Management. As you go through the topic, consider our current
change efforts and peoples perceptions of the change, including your own.
The excerpt below from the topic should help you further organize your
thoughts.
I look forward to a productive and lively discussion!
Thanks.

The following excerpt is from the Harvard ManageMentor topic Change

Management.
Steps for addressing resistance to change
1. Encourage people to openly express their thoughts and feelings about the
change.
Create an environment that fosters open communication and exchange of
ideas. Actively reach out to employees using informal hallway
conversations, more formal one-on-one meetings, e-mail, and other
channels and ask them how theyre managing the change effort.
2. When resistance occurs, listen carefully.
While its important to explain the benefits of a change program,
employees who are resistant to the change dont always want to hear an
explanation of why the change is necessary. Instead, work to understand
Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.

Discussion Invitation: Addressing Reactions to Change

their resistance by exploring their concerns and by taking their feelings

and comments seriously.
3. Treat resistance as a problem to solve, not as a character flaw.
Resisters may provide valuable information about a change program
information that you may not be aware of. For example, a resister may
reveal an unanticipated consequence of a projected change that could
result in a potential threat to either the unit or organization. Instead of
dismissing the resister as someone who is negative or inflexible, try to
understand his or her rationale and sources of motivation. Doing so can
open up new, unexpected possibilities for realizing change.
4. Once you understand the nature of their concerns, bring people together
to discuss and deal with the perceived problems.
If people feel that theyve been heard and have had opportunities to
discuss problems and suggest solutions, they are more likely to support
the decisions made around the change initiative. Address all concerns
head-on and provide people with as much information as possible.

Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.