Management Insights

Change Management and Neuroscience

Change ManagementWhy do we hate change?  The answer can be found in human evolution. Since millions of years ago, the human brain perceives strangeness (or strangers for that matter) as a sign of danger or even a life-threatening event. Our brains are hard-wired to react negatively to and to resist change. Organizations face the same challenges of inevitable resistance to change. According to one study by the Center for Creative Leadership, 75% of change initiatives fail because of this resistance. ..

Organizations with people are of course like human brains in being resistant to change and seeking to stay in the relative safety of the status quo.

So the implications for any significant change management initiative in the organization is to help people navigate their way through the difficult and challenging emotions they are likely to feel. For management to assume they can simply steamroll change in can be harmful in terms of organizational performance and morale.

A change management strategy that recognizes the neuroscience can help to make the transition smoother for those who need to change. as they encounter the various emotions associated with change as indicated below:

Stage 1: Denial

The first dominant emotion is an absolute denial that change is even necessary. This phase requires a need for an ongoing dialog that reinforces and emphasizes the need for change and the reasons for such change. The level of resistance is very high at this stage so what is needed is intelligent persuasion and reinforcement.

Stage 2: Resentment and Anger

This stage is characterized by anger and people wanting to express their opposition and resentment at the loss of the comfort zone. This is not the time to argue; it is instead the time to allow discussion, to listen and to empathize. In some ways, this is like taking a call from an angry customer. You do not argue. You listen more and demonstrate your understanding of how the customer feels.

Stage 3: Negotiating

This stage is about give and take, about brainstorming alternatives and letting employees feel they have an important role to play in the final outcome.

Stage 4: Acceptance

This is when there is a general consensus that the change is here to stay and when employees start to engage constructively with the new process. This is a time for team celebration and a review mechanism for taking the change forward.

 

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