Skillsoft Blended Learning Resource s2

Blended Learning Resources

Facilitated Activity

Replacing Inertia with Imperatives – Activity Guide

When it comes to doing things differently, most people are either resistant or apathetic, and that makes introducing change a real challenge. So before you can move toward company transformation, you must learn how to overcome the inertia of resistance, and build an organization that's oriented toward the change.

Ensuring your employees understand the sense of urgency attached to the change is imperative. This helps generate their interest in hearing and learning about the change and the strategy behind it. If there's change without a sense of urgency, people won't be interested in understanding why the change has to occur, and they won't bother to prioritize it.

This activity will help you to find out whether inertia has taken hold by identifying roots of the inertia that may be present. Once you know where the inertia stems from you can create a plan to combat it when introducing change.

The Roots of Inertia

The roadblocks to change are lethargy, concern, and irritation among employees. It's easy for people to ignore or deny the need for change when they're busy or comfortable in their jobs. If change is considered "bad news," it's never welcomed or readily accepted. So replacing these feelings with a sense of criticality is vital. It stimulates the interest you need to assemble the capable team that will drive the change, and it generates the support you need from employees who will implement or be affected by the change.

Before you can vanquish inertia, you'll have to understand where it comes from. There are four roots of inertia, and when faced with these you need to arm yourself with some techniques for replacing them with imperatives.

A lack of data

Company inertia can be rooted in a lack of information – particularly a lack of performance data that shows what's really going on. In an organization where employees only have access to their little corner of the world, it's hard to create a sense of responsibility about the big picture. Likewise, if customer feedback never reaches key people, employees can easily fall into a drowsy, false sense of security.

You must address a lack of data by giving employees the information that reveals the need for change. By providing all employees with key information that clearly gets the point across, everyone realizes that change is needed and helps replace inertia with imperatives.

A lack of emergency

Inertia will persist unless employees perceive a crisis in the present state of the organization – like foreclosure, bankruptcy, or layoffs. If employees are blissfully unaware of any threat to their jobs, they're less likely to feel an urgent need for change.

To effectively convey a sense of emergency to employees, you must expose a company weakness or else show employees how the company is losing out by not capitalizing on opportunities. Keep this exposé internal so that you're controlling the consequences – and possibly preventing them from eventually exploding in a public forum.

An aura of prosperity

Surrounding employees with an aura of prosperity can serve as a root of inertia. For example, misleading positive messages from management can instill a false sense of security. Or if the workplace exudes a feeling of abundance, it's difficult for employees to shake off their apathy and believe change is necessary.

Replacing inertia with imperatives can be a challenge when all around you is an aura of prosperity. The best way to combat this root of inertia is simply to bite the bullet and remove the perks or stop the happy talk.

Low standards

Setting low standards for employees is another root of inertia. Doing so creates an atmosphere of easily attainable goals and often provides a skewed impression of how the company is performing. This attitude of acceptance for minimum performance, whether conscious or not, leads employees into inertia.

To combat the low standards, set higher, more ambitious goals. Giving employees something to really strive for can help challenge them and dispel the sense of inertia.

Activity Guide

Consider where your organization is going. Use the following questions to help you determine where inertia might come from. Where applicable, identify the ways you can overcome inertia.

A lack of data

Questions Answers How to overcome Are all employees aware of what's going on in the company?

Do they have access to performance data and customer feedback?

A lack of emergency

Questions Answers How to overcome Are employees aware of any weaknesses in the company, or threats to their jobs?

Are they made aware of lost opportunities, thus highlighting the need for change?

An aura of prosperity

Questions Answers How to overcome Do employees enjoy a lot of perks, or unnecessary extras in the company?

Do managers send out misleading positive messages, instilling a false sense of security?

Low standards

Questions Answers How to overcome Do employees have easily attainable goals and objectives?

Are they challenged in their roles?