Leading Your Team through Change

 

Question:

Match sources of employee resistance to change the corresponding examples of resistance.

• There's no way I'll be able to operate the new software!" - Lack of knowledge, familiarity, or skills
• "I heard they're cutting our medical benefits." - Hasty assumptions
• "This merger isn't going to help – our company is doomed!" - Pessimism about change
• "I just got the hang of this job and now I've got to start from scratch." - Fear that change will affect mutual agreement

Question

:

Match obstacles to change with examples of tactics to overcome these obstacles. Obstacles may match to more than one tactic.

• Assess and improve the alignment between the change goals and current policies - Limiting organizational policies
• Show managers that employees are equipped to handle the change - Lack of leadership support
• Set up a group messaging platform that facilitates communication between staff members in different cities - Lack of co-location
• Change the reward structure so people are rewarded for working in new ways - Limiting organizational policies
• Meet with managers to demonstrate the improved efficiency of the new system - Lack of leadership support
• Send out the agenda a week before the next project review meeting - Lack of co-location

Question

:

Match each type of resistance to change to actions for dealing with it. Some actions may have more than one match, and resistance types may match to more than one action.

• Provide information and resources - Lack of knowledge, familiarity, or skills
• Use effective communication - Hasty assumptions, Pessimism about change , Fear that change will affect mutual agreement
• Aim for early successes - Pessimism about change

Question

:

Which of these actions illustrate communicating change properly?

• Managers tell employees that they know there will be a merger, but aren't sure yet when the changeover will begin
• Employees receive the change message at regular department meetings and in the newsletter
• Executives implement the new data entry process in their daily tasks

Question

:

Match the roots of inertia to examples of actions that would address them. Each root of inertia may match to more than one example.

• The finance team distributes charts illustrating the projected annual income - Lack of data
• Company vehicles and hired drivers are no longer used - Aura of prosperity
• The company no longer provides free soft drinks for staff members - Aura of prosperity
• Management distributes up-to-date company performance figures - Lack of data

Question

:

Match different types of resistance to actions for dealing with them. Actions may have more than one match, and resistance types may match to more than one action.

• Providing training, Q&A sessions, and resources - Lack of knowledge, familiarity, or skills
•  Aim for early, highly visible successes - Pessimism about change 
• Keep employees informed and the lines of communication open - Hasty assumptions , Fear that change will affect mutual agreement , Pessimism about change

Question

:

Match each type of resistance to change to the example that demonstrates it.

• Employees approach managers to revisit their job descriptions - Fear that change will affect mutual agreement
• Rumors are circulating that the change will mean layoffs - Hasty assumptions
• Customer service representatives assume the change will be a step backward - Pessimism about change
• Employees complain that their training is inadequate  - Lack of knowledge, familiarity, or skills

Question

:

Match each obstacle to change with examples of ways to overcome it. Obstacles may match to more than one example.

• Streamline processes to help people adapt to change - Limiting organizational policies
• Present your enthusiastic change vision to a manager, but after continued resistance, reassign him - Lack of leadership support
• Plan an annual team-building event for each department - Lack of co-location
• Create the next team conference call agenda and send it out the week before - Lack of co-location
• Explain the benefits the new system will offer for managers - Lack of leadership support
• Examine your change goals and redefine policies to reflect them - Limiting organizational policies

Question

:

Match the roots of inertia with examples of how to overcome them. Roots may match to more than one example.

• The company stops providing catered lunches for employees - Aura of prosperity
• The CEO holds a company-wide meeting to update staff members about budget changes - Lack of data
• Rented lavish furnishings are replaced with economical desks and chairs - Aura of prosperity
• An accurate company balance sheet is distributed to employees - Lack of data

Question

:

Which examples indicate good practices for communicating change?

• The change leader explains that the company has no choice but to merge with a larger company as it's the only way to avoid bankruptcy
• The CEO takes customer complaint calls to pitch in and help bring about change
• Executives tell employees that the new flextime policy is just one part of the expansion they're going to love, and it's everything they've been asking for