Effective change management is the key to worker buy-in.

Getting a directive from the big boss to implement a new software system or rethink the corporate electronic usage rules or redesign a company-wide workflow leaves a manager without much choice in actions to take. But if the big boss issues a vague task such as increasing the efficiency of a team or improving the ROI of the organisation, it's up to the managers to figure out what to do and how to do it. There are several decisions to consider before jumping in.

All for one
The first step when approaching a change situation, according to management experts Robert Heller and Tim Hindle, is to remember that it may involve everyone in the company.

Kelly Patton, an associate editor at online business resource allbusiness.com, reminds managers that it will take quite some time to change worker attitudes, especially if the changes are big.

Seventy percent of change fails to accomplish its objectives, says Hay Group senior Vice President Sylvia DeVoge. Those aren't great odds to consider when taking a plunge into a new system and dragging your workforce behind you. The trick is to do it without the kicking and screaming.

Managers owe it to the company to determine what changes, if any, are needed. Heller and Hindle suggest in their book, The Essential Manager's Manual (DK Publishing, 1998), conducting surveys of employees to measure the demand for change. It'll raise morale, and improve the quality of the process, because everyone will have had a chance to contribute to the decision.

Then, if the teams uncovers a want of change, take on only the essential modifications. The authors recount a simple rule to remember: More than one objective is as good as no objective at all. If managers don't focus on one target, and plan subsequent changes around it, the process become too unwieldy, and it will fall into chaos.

Publicise the reasoning behind the changes. Making a business case for the proposal will help explain why the company needs some shaking up. Then, the authors write, predict where the changes will make the greatest impact, while taking care not to ignore the workers who will see only a minor effect, so everyone will have some idea of what to expect.

Patton recommends creating an HR policy manual that clearly describes the changes, and then distributing it to all employees. New employees will follow those policies from the start, she says, and existing employees will have the rules in writing, which may give them more incentive to follow them.

Strong leadership
One of the key ingredients of effective change is strong leadership. Heller's and Hindle's work indicates that showing a high level of commitment to the project at hand will serve as an example for others. However, the authors write, an iron fist is not what's needed.

They recommend asking for everybody's suggestions, holding frequent meetings, and involving the teams in planning and implementation. To make the change easier to accept, they write, break down the project into smaller tasks, and allocate them among teams.

Incentive
Experts say that a company must devote time and money toward getting employees to understand why the new policies are to their benefit. Without a system of incentives backing the proposals, education won't be enough to get a team to follow.

Most people want to do a good job. Rather than tricking or dragging them into an uncomfortable situation, the authors recommend uncovering a real aspect of the change that people can be a part of.

And remember, the authors write, after a dramatic shift in rules and expectations, many are bound to continue making mistakes as they relearn the ropes. That's why rewarding their attempts - not just their successes - will also go a long way toward motivating them to try in the first place.

Training
When research and publishing company ProSci conducted its "1999 Change Management Best Practices Study," they found that a training plan is key to successful changes. According to the report, 56 percent of change management teams develop a training plan and 82 percent of successful teams have a training plan.

It's not always a matter of teaching individuals new skills and habits. Often, the way groups work together will have to shift after a dramatic change. For example, says Bill Magruder, director of SAP change management at check-printer Clarke American Checks, installing a major enterprise-wide system sometimes involves massive changes in company process. A trainer can teach people how to use new software, he says, but the organisation can suffer if the new behavior is not linked with the larger picture.

Resistance
Trainers and managers must be willing not only to fulfill learning objectives, but also to anticipate and head off resistance among the workforce. Expect plenty of objectives up front, write Heller and Hindle.

Looking at the change from other peoples' points of view may be helpful in anticipating their fears. Negative reactions will normally follow a pattern, according to Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe, as they write in their 1995 book, Managing Change at Work (Crisp Publications). What usually begins immediately as passive resistance shifts into denial or even anger. Then active resistance and perhaps open defiance of the new rules will take over. This fighting impulse is something of a final effort of the employee. Next follows a lull, after which employees will actually test out the new rules. If they see that it works after all, and there's nothing to fear - meaning the manager's done a good job - they will accept the changes.

Heller and Hindle recommend some strategies for avoiding and dealing with resistance: