How to Overcome the Challenge of Resistance to Change? I’ve tried to supplement solutions to overcome the challenge of resistance to change in the form of quotes by lot of industry stalwarts and management scholars. It is true that change is the only entity that never changes. “Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” ~Arnold Bennett Change is resisted because it can hurt. When new technologies displace old ones, jobs can be lost; prices can be cut; investments can be wiped out. The best thing leaders can do when the changes they seek pose significant threat is to be honest, transparent, fast, and fair. “He who rejects change is the architect of decay.” ~Harold Wilson Although leaders can’t always make people feel comfortable with change, they can minimize discomfort. Identifying the sources of resistance is the first step toward good solutions. And feedback from resistors can even be helpful in improving the process of gaining acceptance for change. The natural and normal reaction to change is resistance. Top Reasons “Why Employees Resist Change?” 1. Misunderstanding about the need for change/when the reason for the change is unclear — If staff do not understand the need for change you can expect resistance. Especially from those who strongly believe the current way of doing things works well…and has done for twenty years! In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy. ~J. Paul Getty 2. Fear of the unknown — One of the most common reasons for resistance is fear of the unknown. People will only take active steps toward the unknown if they genuinely believe – and perhaps more importantly, feel – that the risks of standing still are greater than those of moving forward in a new direction “Future shock is the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time.” ~Alvin Toffler 3. Lack of competence — This is a fear people will seldom admit. But sometimes, change in organizations necessitates changes in skills, and some people will feel that they won’t be able to make the transition very well. “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” ~Sydney J. Harris 4. Connected to the old way — If you ask people in an organization to do things in a new way, as rational as that new way may seem to you, you will be setting yourself up against all that hard wiring, all those emotional connections to those who taught your audience the old way – and that’s not trivial. “When it becomes more difficult to suffer than to change… you will change.” ~Robert Anthony 5. Low trust — When people don’t believe that they, or the company, can competently manage the change there is likely to be resistance 6. Temporary fad — When people belief that the change initiative is a temporary fad 7. Not being consulted — If people are allowed to be part of the change there is less resistance. People like to know what’s going on, especially if their jobs may be affected. Informed employees tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction than uninformed employees. “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.”~Charles Kettering 8. Poor communication — It’s self evident isn’t it? When it comes to change management there’s no such thing as too much communication. “If you feel like it’s difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.” ~Andrea Jung 9. Changes...

Promoting Effective Communication in the Work Place A purpose or an idea to be conveyed is needed for communication to happen. The question is how well or how successful you are in transmitting the message (mind you! without transforming it) to the receiver in the proposed meaning, whatever the channel might be! Communication must serve the following functions… Effective Control Motivational expression Information Fundamentally communication helps in controlling the behavior of the members of an organization in several ways. Either formal or informal, it controls the activities of the employees by prescribing certain procedures of communication to be followed when there is a grievance or a difficulty regarding his/her job, the work situation etc. Communication provides Vital Information: Communication also motivates people by clarifying what needs to be done, how to be done and how they are performing and what can be done to improve their performance. Most important function is that communication provides vital information that is crucial for members at all spans or levels to make effective decisions. The feelings of members are also articulated as grapevine in an organization, and in a way it serves as an outlet for their emotional expression. Grapevines: Grapevines are always not harmful, they might even give you information about the pulse of people working for you and if you are really sharp, “you can work it out to your advantage. Communication is always referred to as “oxygen”, we can feel only when it breaks down. Communication plays an important role in managerial and organizational effectiveness. Nevertheless, on the other side it can be the root cause of all the problems in your organization. This excellent infographic on Business Etiquette and Body Language Blunders clearly indicates how body language and gestures influence communication to a greater level.  Source: www.thewebsitegroup.uk Effective Communication: In general, effective communication is the prerequisite for any healthy organization and the attainment of its standard objectives. Most of us are in fact aware of how our vocabulary has been modified to reflect political correctness. For instance we have replaced certain words like handicapped, blind and elderly by physically challenged, visually impaired and senior. One must be sensitive to others feelings. Words are the primary means by which people communicate; so due importance must be given for politically correct words both in the society at a larger level and in firms at the micro level. Increasingly, I find people like being addressed by their designation capacities. Even people might get offended if you call them by their first names as it is regarded to be disrespectful. But I think it is always better to address a person giving due respect to his position if you are reporting to him. That way there is no scope for conflicts and strained relationships. Western countries are more modern in their outlook and have a broader perspective on human interactions than the east. Gestures: Words mean different things to different people. In organizations, people of different background work together, so they have their own language of expressing their opinions and ideas. So it calls for a uniformity of language that is well understood and appreciated by all. Gestures also play their part in communicating ideas. So self controlled expressions, proper behavior are also necessary that completes a communication process. Ultimately proper communication leads to… Satisfied employees Effective feedback Organisational efficiency Freedom for suggesting ideas Enhanced interpersonal relationships Closely knit organisational network Encouraging trust and openness. Communication is an on-going process and the purpose is “not to dictate but to make the employees understand the big picture” as to how the process imparts success and viability to the...

VEDIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP INDIAN MANAGEMENT AND VEDIC LEADERSHIP From time immemorial, vedic scriptures and Upanishads have inspired people to acquire knowledge and wisdom about management principles and practices. Great spiritual leaders like Adisankara believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva, Shri Krishna, the reincarnation of Lord Mahavishnu ,Lord Buddha, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa have  spoken of the infinite realities of life . The Philosophy of Unlearning: It is really amazing to know that these teachings though popular for their philosophical perspective also are a source of inspiration for management philosophy. These scriptures are excellent guides for attaining focus and help us to unlearn old school of thought and rejuvenate us with proper perspective and approach. Inspiration from Bhagavat Gita: Most of us would have heard about this quote from the Bhagavat Gita- “Do your duty without expectations”- “The fruits of which will be reaped automatically.” I used to wonder if this is possible, but all business men and entrepreneurs will definitely go by this since it proves to be the highest business philosophy too. Businesses thrive when done with a perfect vision , backed up by strong policies and ethical procedures. Adisankara: Adhi sankara has already paved the way for “Equality among the masses” when he realized and reiterated that people cannot be and should not be discriminated based on their caste and creed. His life span was very short-he was hardly 32 years when he left this world, but his preachings are there to stay forever. He was definitely a natural leader in presenting his views with clarity that serve as an eternal guide for mankind. Lord Krishna – A Magnificient Leader: Leaders ought to be natural and inspire people to follow them willingly. Lord Krishna was such a magnificient leader of Dwabara yuga who was a mentor for the Pancha pandavas and Gauravas too. The sad part of the story was Gauravas were not willing or not wise enough to utilise the services of Lord Krishna. We miss many viable business opportunities by oversight like Duryodana, the leader of Gauravas- he was a great warrior but not a good listener. “To be heard, you have to first listen,” I think this is the first step in the process of management Progress is impossible without change and those who are not willing to change cannot change anything. How true these words of George Bernardshaw are! Leaders of next century need to have better adaptive capabilities, cross-functional expertise, a positive attitude towards unlearning and re learning and also develop leadership of various levels of organization. What do Vedic Scriptures say? Coming back to vedic scriptures, they direct the mankind towards purifying the mind so that it becomes the hot seat of infinite energy leading to higher levels of strategic thinking and performance. The problem with us is that we always tend to correlate spirituality with renunciation of worldly life- It is not that; making the energy chakras inside our body live and active is the saarams ( essence) taking us to a heightened level in terms of thinking and action. To be a good leader your health should be fine in three key areas 1. Mental health Intelligence and creativity at its best Increased self-actualisation and self-confidence Greater ability to focus Higher levels of moral judgement Reduced anxiety and depression 2. Physical health Reduced need (or no need) for seeing the doctor for treatment Decreased risk factor for disease Reduction of high blood pressure Decreased alcohol consumption and drug abuse Stress reduction Prevention of ageing and increased longevity Note: It has been scientifically proved that by reciting GAYATHRI MANTRA and performing Sandhya vandanam, which is a natural yoga or pranayama method, your life...

Resistance to change should be considered as a good sign and can be compared to fever while there is a bodily infection. It creates a platform for the firm to find out the causes for resistance and hence the solution. Causes for Resistance to Change Individual Resistance A. Economic factors: When pay is tied up with productivity, resistance arises. B. Habit: It is the habit of humans to resist anything new. C. Fear of the unknown: Freshers always have a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty when they join an organization. D. Change affects emotions and sentiments: People are disturbed both emotionally and sentimentally when there is a change. E. Lack of clarification: People interpret change in different ways; so there is a need for the organization to clarify as to the nature of the change and its implied consequences or implications. F. For the sake of opposing: Illogical and weird opinions are given by the employees just for the sake of opposing. Resistance to change Organizational Resistance A. Built-in-Mechanism: People working in groups experience shock when there is a structural change introduced in the system as they are tuned to a set of rules and procedures. B. Group norms: This also acts as a strong source of resistance acting as a constraint C. Threat to expertise: Technological innovations pose new threats everyday to the non-technical persons D. Threat to established power relationship: If the powers are re-assigned amongst the managerial cadre there arises unrest E. Threat to established resource allocation: Budget reallocations are resisted by departments that are not favored How to Overcome Resistance to Change? Education and Communication: The logic of change must be conveyed to the employees in a convincing manner and full facts must be communicated without an iota of doubt. Participation: It becomes difficult for individuals or groups to resist change when they are made to act as change agents Facilitation and Support: Change agents can offer counseling, training etc to pacify the employees Use of Group Force: Groups can exert more pressure on attitudes, values and behavior and hence, if the group cohesiveness is strong, the change is easier to achieve. Leadership for Change: A strong leader-manager can create a climate for psychology support from subordinates Negotiation: The key persons or individuals whom the management think are potential change agents can be rewarded and brought to the negotiating table Manipulation: Twisting information, creation of false rumors, withholding undesirable information are some of the tactics of manipulation that decrease the intensity of resistance to change. Coercion:  Application of force that includes threats of transfers, delay in promotions, negative performance evaluation can decrease the resistance and also the credibility. Manipulation and coercion must be considered as last options to reduce the pressure as generally people will welcome any change that is positive and beneficial to the organization in the long run. It is the responsibility of the management to project the change in a gradual and convincing manner to the...