Ancora Learning Blog

How to encourage positive responses to change in your workplace

14/04/2014
/Kirrily Graham
/Business Managers, HR Managers, L&D Managers
/View Comments

Dealing with change is one of the most common and ongoing challenges we all face. Given how much change we all experience in our lives, it is surprising there is not greater attention and resources given to helping people respond to specific challenges presented by change.

In every workplace, people will vary in their readiness and commitment to change, as well as their attitude or predisposition to change. Rogers’ (1995) Individual Innovativeness Theory suggests that, based on a stable trait or predisposition, individuals react differently to change.

Characteristics of innovators

Venturesome, desire for the rash, the daring and the risky
Control of financial resources to absorb possible loss from an unprofitable innovation
Ability to understand and apply complex technical knowledge
Ability to cope with a high degree of uncertainty about an innovation

Characteristics of early adopters

Integrated, part of the local social system
Greatest degree of opinion leadership in most systems
Serve as a role model for other members of society
Respected by peers

Characteristics of the early majority

One third of the members of a system
Interact frequently with peers
Seldom hold positions of opinion leadership
Deliberate before adopting a new idea

Characteristics of the late majority

One third of the members of a system
Sceptical and cautious
Not responsive to promotional messages
Responsive to pressure from peers

Characteristics of laggards

Possess little opinion leadership
Uses past points of reference
Suspicious of innovations
Innovation–decision process is lengthy

Identify your team’s orientation to change

Reviewing the above characteristics:

Think about yourself and identify which type you might be
Think about each of your team members and identify which type they might be

With that understanding of yourself and your team members, how could you create or adjust your change management strategy to lead everyone through with more positive outcomes?

For example: