Implementing change in the workplace is one of the most crucial skills in your professional career. Regardless of your current position and industry, with high probability, your next big step in professional growth will be related to change. It is because change is crucial for organisations to foster business growth. This article is for you if you:
- You are a manager or leader who is willing to implement changes in the area you oversee
- If you are seeking a promotion or salary raise, the best argument to get is to implement changes that will result in business improvement.
- You are an entrepreneur or company owner, and you want to improve how your business is run.
- You are professionally related to implementing changes or business transformation
This article is worth reading if you fall into any of these categories. First, I will introduce the change formula. Next, I will explore typical human reactions to change. The main part of the article will provide six practical advice to build momentum and implement change in the workplace.
The Change Formula
The Change Formula is a highly practical tool developed over the past decade. It outlines the essential conditions needed to effectively guide individuals, groups, or entire systems toward their desired goals (Cady, 2014). By understanding and applying this formula, you can foster change and achieve meaningful outcomes in terms of implementing changes in the workplace. Change in the workplace requires three key aspects (dissatisfaction, vision, and initial step) to overcome resistance to change.
The change formula based on (Dannemiller Tyson Associates, 1990)Source: Own elaboration
First, change requires people dissatisfied with the current state to feel a sense of ownership around key issues. Second, change demands a vision of a better future—something new that can address the dissatisfaction. The third element involves taking initial steps: actions that will allow people to try something new that might work better for them and bring them closer to the envisioned future. These three aspects combined should create the momentum to overcome resistance to change.
If you carefully analyse the formula, any change implementation can be addressed in two main activities. The first one is to work harder in increasing the positive aspects of any of the three options: dissatisfaction and vision.
The second option is about decreasing (reducing) resistance to change. Concluding, to change something in the workplace, the left side of the equation needs to outperform the right side. Please note that the change formula’s generation part (the equation’s left part) includes a multiplier effect. Consequently, depending on your current situation, you can leverage one of the elements to achieve a significant increase. However, the absence of certain ingredients may result in an inability to deliver any change. This is typically due to the existence of the resistance to change (conscious or unconscious). The topic of human response to change is explained in the following paragraph.
Typical human response to change
Human response to change is deeply rooted in one of our natural instincts. Steve Peters, in “The Chimp Paradox”, explains the internal struggle that occurs within the human mind. He guides readers through applying this understanding to various aspects of life, enabling them to recognise how their minds operate, understand and manage their emotions and thoughts, and develop themselves into the people they aspire to be.
Peters explains The Fight, Flight or Freeze (FFF) response, which is arguably the most frequently used and most important instinct that we can relate to unknown and threats. On the deep side of our brain, the change can be recognised in that way. This FFF instinct is nature’s automatic response when danger or perceived danger threatens. The response immediately ensures protection. In a nutshell, the responses are as follows:
- Fight is taking on the threat;
- Flight is running away from the threat;
- Freeze is keeping still and hoping the threat will go away and you won’t be noticed.
As FFF is about survival, the intensity of emotion is massive and typically disproportionate to the event (Peters, 2019).
With some level of simplification, we can categorise people’s responses to workplace change into three groups. The first group, “Fight,” consists of individuals who actively oppose the change. The second group, “Flight,” includes those who attempt to distance themselves from the impending changes. The final group, “Freeze,” comprises individuals who remain passive in the initial stages, unsure how to cope with the perceived threat of change. From the perspective of implementing change, the latter group may be the biggest surprise. This is because the initial people we thought were not opposed to the change are now in “standby” mode. They will see which way the cat jumps and based on it, their responses might change.
The Levers of the Change Formula
In the following paragraph, I will present levers for each part of the execution of the change formula. These levers can be treated as practical guidance that will allow you to influence effectively pragmatically. This set of levers will help you enhance the positive aspects of any of the three options: dissatisfaction, vision, and the first step that can generate change or focus on reducing resistance to change.
Impacting Dissatisfaction
Identify the source of dissatisfaction.
“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”
Tony Robbins.
Recognising the need for change often comes from experiencing the discomfort associated with the status quo. Regarding the work environment, I refer to this discomfort, which I define as an uncomfortable state of mind caused by factors that make the current situation no longer acceptable. It’s crucial to acknowledge that the frustrations and inefficiencies that people witness have two roots: internal and external sources of dissatisfaction. The source of dissatisfaction is the rationale for change. The former is internal to the team or group, relating to the work that people perform in service of others. This perspective required a reasonable level of self-awareness.
The latter is the external perspective. What complaints do others make about you or your team? In this scenario, we should use empathy and a stronger orientation to others’ perspectives.
Typically, the teams I am working with have reported internal sources of dissatisfaction, which include:
- Overburdening of Workers: Team members may feel overwhelmed due to a high volume of work, unclear priorities, or an uneven distribution of workload.
- Unclear Processes: A lack of clarity in roles, policies, or workflows can lead to confusion, inefficiency, and inconsistent outputs.
- Bottlenecks: Specific parts of the system may become overloaded, resulting in delays and frustration.
- Lack of Transparency: When there is insufficient visibility regarding the purpose of actions and the progress of tasks, misunderstandings and inefficiencies can arise.
On the other hand, typically reported external sources of dissatisfaction include:
- Delivery Delays: Customers may develop a negative perception of the time it takes to complete their requests or projects.
- Unpredictability: The processes for delivering work can be unreliable, with deadlines or outcomes frequently changing.
- Quality Issues: Frequent errors or defects, particularly those that impact the quality of the services or products delivered to customers, can lead to dissatisfaction.
- Poor Communication: Unclear communication is likely the most common reason for frustration in the work environment.
The goal is to identify and highlight the sources of dissatisfaction. Once these issues are visible, we can build momentum for change around them. Ideally, you should engage with the team or group of people who will be responsible for implementing the change and who will typically be immediately affected by it.
Sense of urgency
“Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.”
Jim Rohn
Creating a sense of urgency is simply identifying that the current system, tools, service, or any other aspect that needs to change in the workplace is no longer an option. Change models often highlight the necessity of an organization-wide sense of urgency, typically brought on by a perceived threat that motivates movement from the current state that causes dissatisfaction to a new one. Referred to the need for leaders to create an organization-wide “sense of urgency” to muster up the motivation to leave the old way of working behind (Kotter, 1995).
Research in the field of business change (A.A. Armenakis, 1999) showcases that concepts such as creating intellectual discomfort, alleviating dissatisfaction, and the threat of organisational failure are utilised when implementing change. The goal is to increase awareness of the upcoming changes. It is vital to make the threats and dissatisfaction clear in order to convey the urgency of the current situation. This approach is commonly used to encourage people to abandon outdated practices and to embrace the necessary changes despite the discomfort that may accompany the transition. If you want to implement change in your workplace, create a sense of urgency around it.
Impacting Vision
Need for change
“There are only two ways to influence human behaviour: you can manipulate or inspire it.”
Simon Sinek
Since inspiring behavior is the more ethical approach, I will explore this path. It is important to highlight the profound impact that understanding purpose can have on actions and decisions. By starting with “Why,” individuals and organisations can inspire others and achieve greater success (Sinek, 2024). That is the secret sauce of the most succesfull changes. One of the first steps for anyone looking to implement change in the workplace should be preparation of the reasoning behind that change. Instead of initially asking,
“What should we do or change?”
you should consider asking,
“Why do we need change to happen?”
Understanding the reasoning behind the need for change is crucial, as individuals often spread this message.
Share a story
At its core, storytelling refers to the art of crafting narratives that capture the essence of your brand and appeal to your audience. It also involves communicating narratives in a way that is both relatable and memorable (YEC council post , 2023).
In the case of implementing change, storytelling is a tool that opens the door to emotional and psychological aspects of your audience’s decision-making process. Stories, depending on needs, can be used on many different occasions during pitching and implementing a change. Stories can explain technical details, demonstrate processes, communicate benefits, spread ideas, connect with people, and highlight why change is urgently needed.
Storytelling has proven to be a successful employee engagement strategy, particularly during periods of organisational change. Employees feel a stronger connection to the message conveyed through organisational storytelling because it resonates with their experiences and understanding. Work-related stories engage employees on a more personal level, which helps them better comprehend the message and fosters greater loyalty to the organisation (Gill, 2011).
Impacting First Step
Onboard the change agents
Who are the change agents? They are individuals who act as actors who exert their agency to innovate and create sustainable, accepted change in the systems in which they operate (J.M. Vervoort, 2012).
Typically, these individuals consciously contribute to solving challenges, often making incremental changes but sometimes implementing radical solutions. In the workplace, we might observe both internal and external change agents. Internal change agents are individuals who already work within the team or organisation. They may be leaders, managers, or influential employees. Conversely, external change agents are consultants or third-party practitioners brought in to facilitate change initiatives.
Change agents help individuals and teams cope with change by articulating the motivation behind change, boosting morale and motivation, and changing others’ attitudes through action. More mature and aware organisations seek out individuals with this attitude to foster continuous improvement and drive business success. If you are willing to succeed and drive meaningful change, follow the path and onboard change agents.
Lead by example
Leading by example is widely accepted as a foundational principle of leadership. This principle requires leaders to model the type of behaviour they expect “followers” to adopt (Gill, 2021).
To truly lead by example, it’s important to embody the values and behaviours that you wish to see in your team. Take the time to clearly communicate your expectations and hold yourself accountable for your actions. By being transparent in your decision-making, you create an environment of trust. It’s also essential to empower others, allowing them to take ownership of their work. When your actions align with your words, you’re “walking the talk”. If a person who is introducing change acts in ways that contradict the change they are supporting, this creates a sense of incompatibility (Rola, 2025). Consequently, undermining the process of implementing that change is almost certain.
Reducing Resistance
Build trust
One of the most significant aspects that can reduce resistance to change is interpersonal relations. Build strong relationships with people involved and affected by the changes. The key lies in establishing social capital and positioning yourself as a trusted partner rather than a mere order taker. Workplace relationships are about building connections that enable us to work together seamlessly. Typically, people build relationships on respect, trust and honesty.
Establishing a trustworthy environment is highly beneficial for the entire organisation organisation. Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout (Zak, 2015).
Actively Listening
Active listening is more than ‘hearing’ someone’s words. It means fully attuning to the speaker’s feelings and views, demonstrating unbiased acceptance and validation of their experience (Nelson-Jones, 2014). Active listening involves fully engaging with both verbal and nonverbal communication, concentrating on the message’s content and interpreting the emotions and body language expressed. It is a powerful tool that can leverage actions during periods of change.
To be noticed as a person who is actively listening to others, you need first to start truly listening to them. Once this happens, you will almost immediately and unconsciously start to send communication signals to others. Active listening is typically recognised by others through several observable signs. These signs include physically expressing emotions, cooperating with other listeners, showing approval or disapproval through body language, demonstrating behaviours that indicate attentiveness, asking questions about what is being discussed, and providing relevant explanations and comments.
As you can see, these signals are really hard to mimic if you are really not actually listening to others. What many people misunderstand about active listening is that the result of active listening should be actions suggested by others. To clarify, you do not have to incorporate all their ideas when you actively listen to others. However, listening will help you identify sources of resistance and address the root causes.
Conclusion
Changes are an inevitable part of the workplace. All businesses change and evolve over time. People at all levels of an organisation benefit from knowledge of how to implement change initiatives effectively to be successful. Lack of skills and abilities in that field increases the risk of employees rejecting or ignoring changes favouring the status quo. Keeping the status quo can negatively affect projects, services, products, and the organization overall. The framework and practices presented in this article provide readers with straightforward and effective tools to successfully navigate change.
If you or your organisation need help with change implementation or support in your business, digital, operation, or Agile transformation, visit pawelrola.com or contact me on LinkedIn.
Let’s work together to bring the organisations of the future!
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