My 87-year old dad had fallen in his bathroom and fractured his spine. He recovered well enough to be able to walk again but he was weak and unsteady on his feet. Dad decided that he could no longer live independently and that it was time to consider moving into an aged care facility, where he would get the nursing care he needed.
We did some research and found a newly-built residential care facility in the locality. Dad checked it out and was impressed with the friendly atmosphere, the social amenities and the 24-hour nursing care. Places were in high demand so he put his name on a waiting list and waited for a call.
I need new socks
Four months later Dad got the phone call. A place in the facility had become available but he would need to move in within the week. I asked him what he planned to do. He responded ‘I’m not ready to move just yet. I need new socks’.
My father did not feel prepared to make the change from the freedom of his own apartment to the seeming confines of an aged care unit. His immediate reaction was summed up in his declaration that he didn’t have the right socks for the move.
However, over the course of the next week Dad began to examine his deeply held assumptions about ‘old folks homes’. He walked through the pros and cons of remaining at home (with his ailing health) or relocating to a place where he would receive daily medical attention. He considered the fact that if he did not take up this opportunity he could wait for up to a year for another place to become available. With a day left to make his decision he opted to test out the facility for a month. He figured he could always go back home if he didn’t like it.
Dad moved into the residential care home and never looked back. He loved the residents and staff and they loved him (and his Irish songs). My father lived in this community for several years and died peacefully there (a year ago this week) while I held his hand.
The 3 keys to overcoming resistance to change
At 89 years of age, my dad was prepared to examine and test the assumptions that were holding him back from making a positive change in his life. Resistance to change is often brought about by the assumptions we hold about the transition. These assumptions can prove to be dangerous to the success of transformation efforts at work. There are three key ways that can help to overturn the negative assumptions that cause people to resist positive change:
- Shed light on the assumptions. Bring the assumptions about change to the surface and make them conscious. My father told himself that he needed new socks before he could make a move. What are your people telling themselves about the planned workplace change? During times of transition I’ve seen people hold onto deep seated views that ‘we tried this before’ or ‘it won’t work here’ or ‘it could all turn out to be a disaster’. These fears may seem ridiculous or absurd to us but can be very real for our employees. Uncovering these assumptions is one of the keys to successful change.
- Explore the assumptions. Create opportunities for people to discuss and explore the assumptions they are holding about the change. Do not push these views underground but give people a change to air their concerns. The myths about the change are likely to be collectively held and often deeply buried in the culture. Exploring the different views will allow people to hear other sides of the story.
- Encourage safe tests. Facilitate trials and pilots of the new ways. My father moved into the aged care facility for a month which helped bust the myths he held about ‘old folks homes’. How can you help your people to test (and potentially overturn) their views about the bad things that might happen as a result of this change?
What changes are you planning to make in your workplace in 2018? What assumptions are employees holding about these changes? If you want to bring about more successful change in your workplace start by uncovering the assumptions to change held by the people in your organization. Enabling your people to explore and test these assumptions can help overcome resistance and accelerate the move to your desired future state.