Strategies for change resistance

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Strategies for change
In paragraph format, answer the following questions:

1. What is resistance and how can it affect the success of a change strategy?
Resistance refers to the action(s) individuals and groups take when they perceive that a change that is occurring is a threat to them. The two key words in this definition are 'perceive' and 'threat' thus; the threat does not necessarily have to be real for resistance to occur. According to change management experts, resistance to change occurs when individuals or groups fear loss of something they value, don't understand the implications of the change initiative, view the change initiatives as senseless, and find it difficult to deal with either the level or pace of the change (Kotelnikov, 2009).
Resistance will adversely impact the success of the change strategy. First the change manager must obtain buy in from the individuals or groups in order to implement change initiatives; without buy in the change process will be riddled with major hurdles to overcome. It is imperative that change managers develop strategies to address possible resistance to the change strategy. The change strategy developed should not only address how change will be introduced to the organization, but also resistance to change, how change will be implemented, and ways to monitor change over the long term. It is critical for change managers to develop strategies to curtail resistance from the beginning to attain the desired outcome of the change strategy.

2. Summarize how to overcome "change fatigue."

When employees are tired of constant changes they tend to suffer from change fatigue. In today's environment changes are inevitable. The forces of change, i.e. social, political, and economic precipitate organizations to adopt policies, regulations, technology and new ways of doing things to adapt. This invariably has a direct impact on employees; the constant changes may result in change fatigue. It is important for organizations and change managers help employees deal with the effects of change, brought on by new policies and procedures or bigger restructuring issues. The following are recommendations to overcome change fatigue:
? The time factor is an important element to consider in avoiding change fatigue. The pace and frequency of restructuring or realignment issues should be thoroughly evaluated to determine if it will affect the work culture, productivity and performance of the organization.
? To overcome change fatigue, change managers should effectively manage the volume of change the ...