Holste Says: While achieving a high level of buy-in is an important objective, a business is not a democracy. What Do You Say? Click Here to Send Us Your Comments Click Here to See Reader Feedback

When you consider the manner in which most new government sponsored social/political programs are proposed, it may be hard to believe that human beings are capable of rational thinking. It is a fact that whenever new policy changes are proposed there will be many diverse opinions and objections voiced along with some hysteria and name-calling. This unique human behavioral characteristic extends beyond politics into the business world.

As it relates to improving and growing a business, change is inevitable. When confronted with the need to implement changes, dealing with the associated people issues is complex, and can be frustrating as well as time consuming. But, alas, absolutely necessary if any large-scale implementation is to be accomplished successfully.

Forcing change will most likely result in a highly troubled and perhaps dysfunctional operation (such as the ObamaCare rollout). Getting people to work together to develop broadly acceptable solutions that satisfy company goals and objectives, and that achieve “buy-in” - is the key enabler leading to project success.

Implementing major policy and/or operational change can have a significant emotional and intellectual impact on people. Some changes, especially those involving automation, will require the development of new skills. Efforts must be made to dispel any miss conceptions and help people grow comfortable with the new processes and technologies involved.

Understanding and trusting new technologies can be a stretch for some people. The tendency (human nature) is to protect the status quo. The expression ‘Don’t through the baby out with the bathwater’ comes to mind. Extra effort must be invested up front to educate and train both operations and maintenance personal on the merits of adopting new methods that have an established track record of success in similar operations. Once they understand the benefits and become comfortable with the proven technologies involved, they will be better prepared and more likely to champion the project and work for its success.

Develop Trust in the Partnership

In order to avoid buyer’s remorse, care must be taken not to oversell the projects benefits. What you expect from the project and how you will measure its success must be established in the planning stage and explained to all stakeholders. A sense of partnership must be developed. For some companies this may include key customers who may experience some fluctuation in service levels during various phases of the implementation.

When planning any major changes, adopt the following proven practices from industry consultants and system integrators:

Of course, there will be speed-bumps along the way. By adopting the above practices you have a much better chance of avoiding a “train wreck”.

Final Thoughts

While achieving a high level of buy-in is an important objective, a business is not a democracy. Employees do not get to vote on business planning and strategy. However, unless they are going to be replaced with programmable robots, they need to be properly motivated, trained and inspired to perform their assigned tasks. Being included in the planning process is an effective way to overcome their fears and concerns while promoting a sense of shared responsibility.