Dear Business Partner,

I often hear employers or business owners say their employees are incompetent. 

But what is a competent human being?

To become fully competent, we must be able to face and adapt to changes in our everyday lives.  (This is the short answer)  

It is a fact that we are part of a global village.  As business owners we are constantly thinking of ways to enhance or businesses and this goes hand in hand with change.  Each of us react to change in a different way.  If you have worked with me before, you will know that I always say: change is the only constant in life.

Change can generate deep resistance in people and organisations which can make it very difficult to implement changes.  At organisational level resistance to change can come from three sources:

1. Technical resistance:  employees are in a habit of doing things a certain way.    
2. Political resistance: when past decisions of leaders are questioned this can cause a vibe.
3. Cultural resistance: are the changes in line with the existing values etc.

Strategies to deal with resistance to change:

1. Empathy and support:  Get to know your employees and understand how they react to change.  Here we must rely on our very important leadership skill:  Active listening.  If this is not your strong point, ask your HR to fulfil this role.  Employees are likely to be less defensive when they feel heard.  
2. Communication:  People resist change when they are uncertain about the consequences, typically you should put a stop to gossip and rumours.
3. Participation and involvement:  this lead to great motivation.

Let me know if you want to hop on a call about change you want to implement at your business.

If you want to hop on a call about change you want to implement at your business, hit reply and let me know. Welcome!

Arina Fyfer
AF CONSULTING
082 745 6779
arina@af-consulting.co.za
www.af-consulting.co.za