Common wisdom in management science and practice has it that to build support for a change project, visionary leadership is needed to outline what is wrong with the current situation. By explaining how the envisioned change will result in a better and more appealing future, leaders can overcome resistance to change. But our research, recently published in the Academy of Management Journal, leads us to add a very important caveat to this.
Research: To Get People to Embrace Change, Emphasize What Will Stay the Same
Employees want to know that “who we are” won’t be lost.
August 15, 2018
Summary.
Common wisdom has it that to build support for a change project, visionary leadership is needed to outline what is wrong with the current situation and how the envisioned change will result in a better and more appealing future. New research suggests that doing so might create resistance to change, especially in environments of uncertainty. After all, employees identify with and care for their organizations. They may fear that, after the change, the organization will no longer be the one they value and identify with. Counterintuitively, then, effective change leadership has to emphasize continuity — how what is central to “who we are” as an organization will be preserved, despite the uncertainty and changes on the horizon.
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Change may be the only constant in today's organizations. Here's how to lead through it.
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New!
HBR Learning
Change Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Change Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Change may be the only constant in today's organizations. Here's how to lead through it.