4 Steps to Create Buy-In for Change

​Change is scary. The vast majority of the people realize this even if they don’t want to admit it. The results are realized when an organization attempts to introduce change, and they come up against employee resistance. A Deloitte Survey found that only 21% of organizations can manage change effectively.
 
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Multiple studies identify communication as the key component when introducing change. But it must be more than talking, marketing or pizza parties. It’s about engaging them to buy-in to the importance of the change versus the discomfort from going through the change.
 
Find the Fears
It starts by taking the time to truly listen to their concerns. Their first point is rarely the real issue, and you need to ask questions to dig deeper with the intention of understanding. To get to the root cause.
 
What obstacles need to be overcome, avoided or removed? What is the impact if their fears are realized? Taking the time to understand the full aspect of the fear is fundamental to helping them overcome the fear.
 
Acknowledge the Fears
Once you feel like you have a good understanding of the fears, take time to verify that is what they see and feel. Showing empathy and an understanding of their fear is important. It provides an avenue to connect them back to the team and show that they are not alone with their uncertainty of the future.
 
Finally, don’t discount or marginalize what they are feeling. Start to frame the fears they are facing today, by looking at the possibilities that exist in the future state.
 
Addressing the Fears
Now that you have identified and verified their fears, you need to work to address them. If you cannot eliminate them completely, can you at least minimize them? Can you find trade-offs or other benefits that can be identified to off-set the negatives?
 
Can you share with them the consequences of not going forward with the change? What do they and their team miss out on achieving or what ramifications could occur?
 
Finally, W.I.I.F.M. , “What’s in It for Me?”  You must connect them, as an individual, to the benefit of moving to the future state. You either take away the pain or show them how they will benefit. This isn’t manipulation or bargaining, but helping them see the value to them, the team, and the organization.
 
Replace the Fears with the Vision 
The first three steps are all about understanding the pathway for them to overcome their fear of change. Connecting them to the future benefit is how you complete the buy-in.
 
Painting the Shared Vision is how you help them understand their role, impact and benefit of moving towards the Vision. They need to understand the why and how it connects / aligns with their own why. This is extremely important as the younger generation are entering the workforce.  “Because I said” is no longer adequate.
 
Ultimately, it isn’t the act of removing fears, but taking the time to understand them that builds the connection to generate momentum. When they accept that you have empowered them to paint themselves into the Vision, that is when you know that they will lead the change, Beyond Today.

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