Choosing a Method of Implementing Change
Methods for implementing change exist on a continuum. Some methods are slow-acting while others are fast-acting. Select each method to learn more.
Methods for implementing change exist on a continuum. Some methods are slow-acting while others are fast-acting. Select each method to learn more.
Education and communication is used to give individuals having a hard time dealing with change clear information about the change. It focuses on both delivering facts about the change (giving an individual the information they need to make the change) as well as trying to persuade them emotionally to make a change. This is usually a time-consuming process.
For example, if you were working with a squad that was going to perform a new, high-risk mission, you would focus on education and communication. This way, they would both know how to perform their new roles and feel comfortable doing so.
Facilitation and support is a less formal way of helping individuals deal with change by addressing personal reasons for not dealing with change. This method focuses on increasing individuals’ comfort level with change.
For example, if a Soldier was having a difficult time transitioning to being deployed, you would recommend counseling, which is a form of facilitation and support.
Negotiation and agreement are more formal ways of getting individuals to agree to work through change to reach an end goal. This method sets a clear path forward for change, once everyone has negotiated and agreed on how to go forward.
For example, if you were working in a small team trying to figure out how to change strategy but the new strategy wasn’t clear, you might use negotiation and agreement to set up a change. The majority of your time would be spent hashing out how to change the strategy and how it would be implemented; but, once it was agreed upon, the change could happen quickly.
Explicit and implicit coercion is a way of forcing Soldiers to change or face negative consequences. This method is normally used when the person initiating change has considerable power. It doesn’t address an individual’s emotions toward change, only his/her actions. Therefore, it’s the least time-consuming method.
For example, a Soldier may be carrying his weapon in an unsafe manner. You would order him to change the way he carries it in order to comply with safety regulations. In this case, your only concern is his actions.