Promoting Workplace Change Starts With You
It probably won’t take long to get agreement that everything around us is changing. Promoting workplace change is often a forced situation. It often feels more like push and not pull.
What is necessary to get change started?
If I said that climate change is real, would you believe me?
If I said that climate change is not real, would you believe me?
What if I said George W. Bush, was the best President? Barack Obama? Donald Trump?
You may find argument for any one of these scenarios. Largely it is based on our individual beliefs.
Believe It or Not
Our beliefs are often responsible for what moves us, what sparks efforts to change, and what keeps us going when there are bumps in the road. If you want change, you have to establish belief.
Around the workplace there is often and expressed need for more sales, higher quality, and better customer relationships.
Some of that starts with having the right products, establishing a better brand, and making sure you can logistically serve your customer.
All of these things may require occasional, or as some may see it, constant change.
Will your employee teams change?
It probably depends on what they believe.
Do they believe that better quality is achievable? Are they convinced that you are providing the best products or services at the right price? Do they find reason to value and build better customer relationships?
Are your employee teams driven by data and facts, or are they driven by commands sent down from the C-Suite?
Promoting Workplace Change
If you want the academic to believe you, you’re probably going to have to show her the research that proves it.
For the plumber, you’ll need proof that the sealant holds.
The architect may need a scaled model.
When you want to change something in your workplace it may require a little bit more than just commanding it. You may have to be compelling and create belief.
Nobody wanted to try Life Cereal until Mikey liked it.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
