C: How can you help people overcome their fear of change?
To help control the potential pushback from employees and resist the industrial relations problems from introducing change to the business, managers can use these following strategies:
- Open communication
- Management must communicate honestly about the reasons for change in the business. They should outline the consequences of not making these changes, e.g. loss of market shares or redundancies.
- Employee involvement
- Employees should be encouraged to express their own opinion about the changes happening at the firm. This gives them a sense of ownership in the change process.
- Leading by example
- Management shows employees that they believe in the benefits of change. Staff will follow the example set by management and be more accepting of the changes introduced.
- Rewards
- Management may give rewards to employees for co-operating with the introduction of changes in the business, e.g. a bonus payment.
- Training
- If a business introduces changes such as new processes or technology, staff should be adequate training. This provides them with the skills needed and reduces their resistance to change.
