How can I get people to embrace change when they are overwhelmed?
How can I get people to embrace change when they are overwhelmed?
By nature, most people do not like change. Change usually implies that things we did in the past were wrong or not perfect, and so now we need to change. In other words, it usually is not a passive fuzzy feeling.
So the first thing you need to realize is that every single person in your audience will process change differently. A few will be excited by it, a few will be scared by it, and a few will resist it. So how do you get around this?
You need to use Outcome Thinking® to think from your audience’s perspective. Why should they embrace this change? If they face realistic obstacles, such as limited time or limited training, acknowledge those. Too many times when we talk to employees we forget that management has been dealing with the topic for several months, while the employees are just now hearing about it for the first time. They need time to process it.
In a presentation where you’re trying to get people to embrace change, start the presentation by talking about their world as it is today. Then talk about a time in your life that was made more comfortable by a change or a time when the company made a change and significant results were achieved. This allows everyone in the audience to realize that you understand their situation, but you’re also acknowledging that change must happen.
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