Managing Change, Mentality & The Change Curve — Denial, Resistance, Exploration, Commitment

Managing change in any business, no matter what your size, is always a challenge. It could be a change in; company branding, procedures, policy, or something simple like a change in company font.

Either way, for the majority of teams, the process of rolling out change is always the same.

Stage 1. Denial

Surprise and Shock — When any change/suggestion of change is announced that is disruptive, the initial reaction is to one of surprise and sock. We have go used to doing things one way so why should we change?

Stage 2. Resistance

Concerns — As the change beings to rollout concerns from team members will start to surface and you will need to have your answers ready. If you have done your homework on how this change will effect your business, you should be able to confidently address any concerns.

Stage 3. Exploration

Experiment and push boundaries — Final chance to review and confirm that is the best way forward. Is this better or worse than before?

Stage 4. Commitment

Jump in — Decide to make the change and fully commit to rolling this out across the business. Your team is behind you, and you firm up your stance. Helping others with getting onboard and continuing to learn and modify moving forward.

The Beckhard-Harris Change Equation

To see if you or your business is actually ready for change is another question you should ask yourself. However this simple equation will not only save you time but could save you a lot of stress if you, yourself, are unsure if you want to push for change yet:

Having a much broader view of an organisation, managers often notice the need for change far earlier than other employees. Therefore, they may often find themselves faced with general resistance to any change initiatives, as individuals generally favour the status quo.

If you are deciding to make a change prior to starting the process have a think about this equation. If the answer is that you/your teams resistance to change is higher that all three of these then maybe you are not quite ready to make the change you think your business needs.

DISC Profiles — Where in your team will there be the most resistance to change

At Modus Accountants we use DISC to profile our staff and clients on how best to support and mange them. DISC is also a useful tool to identify which members of your team will be the most resistance to change and how you will need to support the most.

• High D — Will want any change to be rolled out quickly. Must be clear and quick to understand.
• High I — Will be most likely be compliant a help to persuade people on the change
• High S — Will likely be compliant and willing to proceed
• High C — Will likely want more detail and need convincing to get onboard

Is you or your team is struggling to make changes in your business? If so, get in touch for a free one-to-one business review with one of our in-house business coaches or mentors. Call us on 01993 225 030 or book directly here.

Find out more about Modus Accountants at modus-accountants.co.uk/accountants-oxford/