BUS4101 WK4 Project

Page 1 of 1 BUS4101 Quality Management

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Dos and Don’ts of Avoiding Resistance

As a quality management professional in an organization, you have devised some strategies. Execution of these strategies would result in quite a few changes in the processes followed by the organization. For example, these strategies recommend the automation of the delivery processes, which would reduce the extent of the work done by the employees in the delivery department. You are expecting a strong resistance, which might impact the execution of the strategies. In this situation, what are the things you would do or not do to avoid resistance and ensure a smooth transition to the new processes?

• Send a message explaining the changes before executing the strategies. When you are expecting a strong resistance to the process change, it would not be a good idea to wait to reveal the plans until right before executing the process change strategies. It is often difficult for employees to adjust to the new and different opportunities for the organization. They may feel uncomfortable or deprived, and, therefore, you may not be able to achieve the desired results from the process changes. Therefore, it is critical for you to address their concerns before executing the process change strategies. In addition, instead of sending a message, you may arrange a meeting in which all involved parties receive the same information at the same time. By doing this, you can clarify their doubts and be on the same page in order to make the transition easier.

• Inform employees of the changes and the details of how these changes might eliminate some of their current positions. It is important to remember that avoiding details of the changes is only a temporary solution. Employees need to know how the new processes will impact their current duties or whether these processes will eliminate their current duties or positions. In addition, it is important to remember that business ethics demands you to be honest with your employees regarding how organizational change might affect them.

• Organize meetings and training with all involved parties to share the objectives and expected results of the imminent process changes. Meetings and training are two key elements helpful in achieving a smooth transition from an existing process to a changed one. It is the management’s responsibility to ensure the employees who are affected by the change understand the importance of and reasons for the change.