How do you get people to embrace change? Human beings have an immense capacity to adapt to change. Think about your life, think about the changes you’ve experienced! Dealing with change is our daily lot, the more you have a proven approach and method, the easier it will be to turn these changes into opportunities.

This is the best approach to getting people to buy into the change, whether you are the person initiating the change or the one receiving it.

In this article you will find out how to communicate the legitimacy of the change, promote action and act proactively on the follow-up in order to get people to adhere to the change and obtain results over time.

And let’s start with a few facts.

• Human beings have many natural mechanisms that allow them to escape change if it suits them better.
• New opportunities, being unknown and uncertain, can generate a period of stress and adaptation.
• Change is easier if we are the instigators of change ourselves.

The world we live in is changing and offers many opportunities for change, it’s just a matter of knowing how to do it.

Knowing this, it is all the more important to use the following approach in order to facilitate buy-in to your changes.

1. Understand the why

The meaning and the why of the change create the legitimacy of the latter. If you are not able to explain what the change is for and what value it will bring to you, others and/or the organization, you will have a harder time getting it across and others dealing with it.

Like what: We are changing our IT system and most of the processes will change.
Of course, you will have resistance. Not that people aren’t open, but everyone has their own comfort zone, their own challenges. If they don’t understand why and feel like you’re “adding” more for no reason, your change management will be more difficult.

How do you communicate the legitimacy of your change?

has. Do this mini-analysis

• What is the change you want to make?
• What in the current situation is not working or not filling the need?
• What are the facts you have to validate the non-functioning of the current situation?
• Who is impacted by this malfunction? (person, team, organization)
• So what is the main reason why you are making this change?

b. Use this canvas to communicate your change

Now <Current situation>Like what <1 or 2 facts>, and so we want to <Main reason for the change> to have a more positive impact on <people impacted>.

Like what:

“Currently, there are issues in terms of training management, for example we don’t have the rooms booked on time and our trainers and participants are frustrated. We therefore want to optimize our processes with a new system in order to have a more positive impact on the learning of our participants and the concentration of our trainers. »

Your “sentence” should be quite simple and straightforward, otherwise you risk losing the attention of your interlocutors and not achieving your goal. Don’t forget to tailor your message to the person you’re talking to.

Are you on the other side of the change and haven’t received clear communication? Go ask the above questions to the initiator of the change or to whomever it may concern!

2. Moving from “anticipating” change psychologically to “living” change

The less clarity there is in the why, the more anticipation there is. Know that it’s never too late to clarify change.

Clarity alone does not guarantee ease of dealing with change.

To integrate a new habit, to understand a new role, a new computer system, you have to DO it. We must act. You have to live it.

Has. How can we encourage action?

First of all, you have to understand that everyone has a comfort zone. That this comfort zone is not necessarily comfortable. The comfort zone is where you feel in control. The place is familiar, pleasant or not.

Essentially, what we want to do is get out of our comfort zone by going through the learning zone in order to avoid panic and eventually get to the magic zone.

You can view the learning area as a safe bridge to the acceptance area. And for this bridge to work to its full potential, you need a plan.

B. To promote action, a clear and detailed plan is needed.

This plan can be built by the team that has to experience the change. The more involved they are, the better it will be to get them to adhere to the change. That doesn’t stop you from taking the reins to come up with something.

This plan must contain concrete steps, lasting half a day or a day.

Quickly, people have to be in action: try the system, become a super-user, go to training, use the new method, etc.

Important: We all have the ability to get out of our comfort zone, we just have to know how to do it without going from a safe zone to a panic zone!

3. Follow up

Change without follow-up can quickly lose its importance and legitimacy.

You have put in the effort, the will, the resources to implement this change to improve a situation. All I can tell you is: don’t let him down.

Be proactive about follow-up.

Put reminders in your calendar. Do the right thing. This follow-up can simply be a call to a person to take their feedback. This time you take will not only promote the success of the change, it will also contribute to motivation and commitment to change.

Again, if you are the person who receives the change, you can also proactively follow up with the changemakers. Don’t stay with frustrations or strangers.

To go further: take the online training Managing Change and Transformation. It will allow you to make change accepted more easily by giving you tools on the comfort zone and organizational change management.

In conclusion

In order to get people on board with the change and integrate new ideas more easily, don’t forget to legitimize the change, make a concrete plan to make it easier to get out of the comfort zone safely, and then follow up.

To go further, take the online self-study: Managing Change and Transformations. Click here to access it!