Leading Technological Change: Anticipating the Human Response
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• Acknowledge and Show Empathy for the Letting Go Process

As Dr. William Bridges has taught us, letting go of the old is a natural part of the psychological transition to change. There is a grieving process that is associated with releasing identities that may have accompanied the old system. People had defined roles and responsibilities, which will likely change with new technology. Commitments to relationships and work processes may also be altered. And certainly, the organizational culture will be affected. That is, the basic assumptions, beliefs, and values that people share because they learned how to do things in a certain manner for a long time will now be disrupted. The collision course of emotions can be unsettling. Ignoring the emotions that go along with letting go can not only slow down change, but also often obstruct it. Leaders need to be sensitive to the grieving process and provide support. They need to remember to respect the past as they help people move towards the future. Give people space to talk about their feelings. Listen with empathy and provide support so that staff can go forward.


• Manage the Zone of Ambiguity and Unpredictability

The time between announcement of the change and implementation is filled with ambiguity and unpredictability. Even with the best plans there will always be things that will occur that could not be predicted. For instance, a glitch in dismantling the old system unexpectedly becomes complicated and takes more time than was originally planned. Leaders need to adapt in these situations and help their staff ride the peaks and valleys of change. These gyrations are typical in any change situation. So the real trick is to normalize this zone by doing several things:


• Providing information
• Including staff in decision-making and giving opportunities for participation
• Establishing structure for how people will interact to accomplish the work
• Developing skills needed to do work during the change transition while preparing people to do new jobs
• Being visible and available
• Clarifying and re-clarifying the implementation process
• Respecting people’s feelings and providing support
• Recognizing progress – small and big steps with tangible and intangible rewards – a simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way

A final suggestion is to be hopeful and optimistic. When the leader’s behavior signals a positive outlook about the change, the team will likely be more positive too. This outlook is grounded in the reality that the team will have to work through tough challenges together. Hope can help smooth the transition journey.


• Do Not Resist Resistance

Leaders have a tendency to want to avoid or put down resistance to change. The result is often more resistance. Rick Maurer in his book ‘Beyond the Wall of Resistance’ suggests that leaders should embrace resistance. He believes, as do I, that resistance has value because it helps leaders to understand why staff will not commit to the change. People who are expressing what is wrong with the new technology are actually doing leaders a favor. They are providing important information that will enable leaders to identify weak points in the implementation strategy. Engage resisters in the process of change by involving them on transition teams as much as possible. A few hints for working with resistance are:


• Listen actively to understand root causes for feelings and beliefs
• Respond with empathy
• Be open, honest, and factual
• Do not be defensive
• Empower and engage through participation
• Maximize education and communication to minimize fear and anxiety