More on Buy-in

To achieve buy-in need to satisfactorily answer the following questions

Some Frequent Questions Asked By Staff During Change

"...- Why is change happening now?
     - What is the risk of not changing?
     - What is the rush?
     - If I wait long enough, will the change just go away?
     - What will the change mean to me?
     - What are my choices?
     - What are the benefits of supporting the change?
     - What if I disagree with the change?
     - What if they have tried before and failed?
     - What if I am forced to do more for the same pay?..."
Tim Creasey, 2022

Comments on questions

Most change is a response to the external environment like markets, competition, lower prices, new business opportunities, new technology, etc.

Failure to change can result in loss of jobs, less revenue, reduced job satisfaction, bankruptcy, etc.

Many organisations don't communicate effectively the need for change, eg don't share their financial information with staff. Thus staff don't appreciate, nor understand, the need to change quickly.

In many cases, financial survival depend upon changing - waiting will not change the outcome. As a result, change will be implemented irrespective of staff's reaction.

When change is implemented, each person will be impacted differently. How you react to change a personal choice. Your choices about how to respond to change will depend upon how the organisation moves through the change process. Think about change in these time periods:

i) first announced (prior to implementation)

ii) implementation (new solution is being deployed)

iii) post implementation

Some of the benefits of the change should be
"...Enhanced respected reputation within the organisation, improved growth opportunities (especially for active supporters of the change), increasing job satisfaction ( knowing you are helping your organisation respond effectively to a rapidly changing market place), improved job security..."
Tim Creasey, 2022

It is important that staff understand the reasons for the change before suggesting alternatives. Also, need to accept the past is history and not live in it, and therefore focusing on what is the future.

Initially staff are required to do more work during the change and may not necessarily receive more compensation, ie old ways are less valuable and it may take time for new ways to prove themselves.