“I know early in my career working in a manufacturing and distribution organisation, I went out and worked in the warehouse for a week. I wasn’t allowed to drive a forklift but I could fill pallets, I could mark them off, I could print out delivery dockets, I could help stock shelves. You have to do the job to get the confidence. And now sitting in an office with a suit and a tie on, I’m divorced from that and really do recognise that I have got to be prepared to roll up my sleeves and get out there and make sure I know the processes completely.”
Luddites and Converts
As everyone knows — or should — by now, communication is the key to change. That means communication on several fronts, Cunningham says:
• Clear and simple communication about goals, and about how we will achieve the goals (strategy). This is best conducted in as collaborative a manner as possible, since people are more likely to chase goals they had a part in deciding.
• Clear and simple lines of communication during the change. Hotlines, help pages, FAQs, team meetings, divisional meetings, workshops and so on. Leave no stone unturned to find out and address people’s concerns — this is crucial to any transformation.
• Clear and simple communication about successes, progress, contributions, ideas and so on. Once people see the change is actually progressing, largely according to plan, they will get on the bandwagon.
What do about those those who are having difficulty with the change? “There will always be a few who cannot accept or adapt to the change being asked of them,” ” Cunningham says. “They will show up in the early processes — the workshops and the communication sessions. It is important to identify them, and to know that they will fall into two broad categories: the luddites and the converts.
The converts are important, because they will change eventually, and like most converts, will become ardent supporters of the change. They will help the luddites through the process. Organisations need to pay very special attention to this group, as they will subvert the process needlessly if they are not turned into converts as quickly as possible. They will require special sessions, additional workshops, and greater opportunity to participate and discuss issues.
The luddites, on the other hand, may never accept the change. They must be treated specially too, but as nicely as possible, isolated from their subversive colleagues. If there are already converts about, team them up with a luddite each to keep them under control — a sort of buddy system. If there are insufficient converts, find enthusiastic and unflappable people to do this instead.
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