The change process is never easy. But organizational change can happen -- especially if you seek feedback and foster buy-in from the people involved.
Change can originate from any level of an organization. It doesn’t have to come from the top. In fact, in order to be most successful, every level of an organization must take part in defining what changes are needed and how they will be achieved.
The easiest change to create is mandatory change. Laws often require changes to be made in organizational policy. For example, non-discrimination laws require employers to investigate and put a stop to harassment if it is based on age, sex, race, color, national origin, religion, or disability. If that sort of harassment is occurring, the easiest way to make the needed changes can often be to simply point out to those with the power to make changes that the law requires it.
Managing changes that are not mandatory is a little more difficult. The first step in getting an organization to change practices or policies that don’t absolutely have to change is getting the ear of people who are sympathetic to your concerns. This often requires creativity. There are many individuals that may be sympathetic to your concerns in different ways. You should speak to them about your concerns in ways that they care about. For example, a boss may not be interested in hearing about how hard a particular problem makes your workday, but might be interested in hearing how that problem is hurting the organization’s ability to get grants. If you are going to get people to care about the issue you are concerned about, you are going to have to interest them on their terms.
Once you have gained the ear of individuals that are sympathetic to your concerns, start trying to figure out which of those individuals has the power to help change things. Then, ask them for their input on how the problem could be resolved. The change process requires compromise. You can’t hold onto the idea as your own if you want the organization to change – it needs to be a group effort. Work to reach a plan of action that encompasses everyone’s insights. Involve nay-sayers, too. Taking their prespectiving into consideration early on can save you heartache down the road.
The next step is to encourage people to buy-in to the plan of action. Much of this has already been done if the creation of a plan of action was a group effort – people want to see ideas they had a part in making succeed. One good way to get other people to buy-in to the plan of action is to educate them. When people understand why a plan exists and how it is supposed to work, they feel much more inclined to support it. You may even get very valuable feedback that could help refine the action plan.
Finally, as you begin putting your plan into action, set milestones to reach and celebrate when your organization achieves those milestones. The celebration doesn’t need to be an expensive party – just do something to acknowledge progress. When you reach barriers, just re-group, reexamine the goals of the action plan, and work as a team to find a way to achieve those goals. If a barrier makes a particular goal absolutely unattainable, try to figure out a second-best goal to achieve.
Remember that the change process is almost never easy. It requires thoughtful consideration of the people you work with, the organization’s purpose, and a thorough study of the problems faced. However, with a little persistence and a lot of patience, all can be achieved.
