People's reactions to change are generally NOT logical from an outsider's (ie. manager's) perspective. People react according to their own needs at the time. As discussed earlier people differ in the value they place on satisfying different needs, so people's reactions to any change will differ between person to person (or even within one person).

Empathy refers to the ability to "walk in another person's shoes", and to have insight into the thoughts, and, more importantly the emotional reactions of individuals faced with change.

Empathy requires that you suspend judgement of another's actions or reactions, while you try to understand them. Sometimes, this will mean reading between the lines of statements made, and almost always it will involve gentle questioning and probing, to clarify what is going on. The goal here, again is to UNDERSTAND, and not judge.

Of course, knowing your employees, understanding their concerns, and developing empathetic relationships with your employees should_ be NORMAL procedure for all managers. During periods of change, though, it is even more critical.

What is the payoff to the manager for developing empathetic relationships with employees? First, it enables the manager to better anticipate what resistance will occur, and to try to reduce this resistance. Second, it is the manager's basic tool to support the employee and make him/her feel valued by the organization in times where stability is lost. Third, understanding where employees are coming from will help you plan out the degree of participation needed from them, and will give some clues as to how change should be communicated to them. Fourth, building empathetic relationships, builds commitment and loyalty.

In short, showing empathy means listening, listening, listening, asking the right questions, and suspending judgement of the person's fears or concerns. By understanding employees during the change process, the manager should be able to reduce resistance, counter lower morale, and generally face fewer major problems.

Finally, empathy and listening build employees' commitment to the organization, to the manager personally, and, ultimately, to the change, itself.

COMMUNICATION

By Robert Bacal

Communication is probably THE most important skill that people need to have in order to be effective managers. It is probably the most taken for granted, and the area least addressed by developing managers.

In situations of instability, or change, or ambiguity, communication becomes even more important. Poor communication around change issues can:

1. Destroy commitment to an organization
2. Irrevocably damage employee morale
3. Generate huge resistance to change
4. Result in hostility being directed at you
5. Encourage later performance problems.

Not a pretty picture.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION:

Unfortunately, some managers believe that effective communication consists of memo sending, or orally telling people what is going on, or what will happen. Passing on of information is only ONE part of communication.

Communication can be simply described as CREATING UNDERSTANDING. In periods of change (as in "normal" times) the manager must not only pass information to employees, but also ensure that it is UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY. After all, the manager stands to lose a great deal if information is not understood, as he or she is accountable for the results.

So, keep in mind that communication must be two-way in manner, where the manager may be communicating to employees, but is also soliciting comments from employees about their level of understanding, and comfort around potential changes (remember empathy?).

Donald Kirkpatrick, in a book entitled "How to Manage Change Effectively", has described a number of barriers to communication. Understanding these may help you to phrase and time your communication with staff, and to become aware of your own communication approach. These are listed at the end of this reading.

COMMUNICATION AND CHANGE - WHO, WHAT, WHEN, HOW?

There are four decisions that managers must make around communication in change situations:

1. TO WHOM
2. WHAT
3. WHEN
4. HOW
 

PARTICIPATION

By Robert Bacal

Participation is the third key to the change process. When we speak of participation we are talking about employee opportunity to have input, and where possible, control, related to the change process which is to affect them. Apart from participation being critical to building commitment to a particular change, there is a side benefit. When changes are being considered it is often the people on the line that can point out why these changes might not be advisable, or, more importantly, how proposed changes can be improved so they will work.

Participation and input should be solicited (asked for, not demanded) as early as possible in that change process, and through implementation and evaluation.

TIPS FOR STRUCTURING PARTICIPATION:

1. ASK FOR INPUT
2. SERIOUSLY CONSIDER IT AND OBJECTIVELY EVALUATE IT.
3. USE THOSE IDEAS THAT ARE GOOD.
4. REJECT THOSE THAT AREN'T PRACTICAL.
5. GIVE CREDIT AND OTHER APPROPRIATE REWARDS TO THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED IDEAS THAT WERE USED.
6. CONVINCE THOSE WHOSE IDEAS WERE REJECTED THAT THEIR IDEAS WERE CONSIDERED, AND EXPLAIN WHY THEY WERE NOT USED.

Source: http://www.work911.com/managingchange/

---