Winning Hybrid Hearts and Minds
When transforming a business, Leaders want their people to get on board and adapt to the change faster. It’s an issue that all Leaders face, whether implementing a Hybrid Workforce, new technology of changing processes or ways of working,
It’s no easy task and many fail. Thankfully, we know the secret of winning hearts and minds – so, how do we do it?
It’s all about Biology
The one lesson we take from the myriad of dizzying hybrid transformation projects we are seeing right now, is that relying on conventional change wisdom is a fool’s game. That’s because every single person on your workforce is wired differently and will react in divergent ways.
Firstly, as a leader, you must understand the biology of resistance, so that you can first of all be prepared for it. And secondly, although you can do a lot to lessen it or shorten resistance, you cannot make it go away entirely, because it is a biological process. But there are steps you can take to make it easier for people to get on board with proposed change.
As you can imagine, our change solutions and methods really help leaders think through, prepare and give them strategies for helping people move through the inevitable resistance period faster than they would naturally.
What’s in it for me?
A major catalyst for driving successful transformation is fostering a change in the mindset of people. When your people are faced with change that may be a challenge to them, they react with a certain amount of fear.
You see, as much as people speak about the fact that they make objective decision – the reality is the opposite. They look at change subjectively – how will this affect me and my family or lifestyle.
And be aware, those who have done well from the existing ways of working are not going to want change and might not support it.
Also look out for status quo bias. An unconscious bias towards the current state of affairs where any move away from this is perceived as a loss. This cognitive bias prefers inaction to action, even when action is the more favourable decision.
Complex, hey?
Gaining input
Thus, if you want to get your people to get behind change, the transformation or experience has to make sense to them. It has to address a real need they have or it has to relieve them of a real pain point. And to find out what that need or pain is – you have to ask!
Yet, what we see is that plan is often designed by the leaders of the organisation, who obviously have their own well thought through agenda, but, without the input and ideas of those it will impact, change is often scuppered by those very same folk.
Hybrid Workforce
If you are moving to a Hybrid Workforce, you will find that almost every person would like a way of working that suits where they happen to be in their own lifecycle and that meets their personal needs. But that is not practical from an office footprint, a leadership or a customer viewpoint. So, Leaders must encourage consideration, empathy and compromise on the part of colleagues and ensure they input into design.
How do I manage that, I hear you say!
Speak to us. We will guide you through the maze of emotions, behaviours and preferences that are stalling your decisions right now. Moving to remote working was ‘easy peasy’ at the side of this current transformation, wasn’t it?
Get Support for Your Hybrid Work Proposal
Even if you think you have the right set up, partnering with a practitioner, like us, who understand the pitfalls of hybrid working, is key to making a success of it.
Our methods will enable your business make your hybrid workforce model a reality and success.
Want to know more about how SWR is revolutionising the world of work? Get in touch for a chat
