Issues You Face
Barrier One: Breaking Through Fear
The Face of Fear
When change gives way to fear there is a return to the status quo way of doing business. Sitting on the sidelines becomes a sport of inactivity. Fear paralyzes the organization and the change process. Communication is very selective and safe and fear shuts down open and honest communication.
The procedures and therefore the way of doing business are usually informal. We become very selective at who and what is being held accountable. Fear translates into employee insecurity, low morale and lack of commitment.
Training is not a “way of doing business”. Reactive training starts after the problem and/or the demands for certification. Training managers are usually the only person to step up.
Fear is now holding the organization hostage. The 1% is not accountable and the 99% are being undermined by the lack of positive accountability.
How Do We Address the Fear
All employees are participating and holding each other accountable. As the organization holds accountable the process and systems that have been agreed upon, open and honest communication is encouraged and becomes a habit. There is now longer a blame game being played with fingers pointing everywhere.
By formalizing the education and training the tools are now available to hold accountable the organization. We start to see and understand 1%, 5%, and 20% rule.
See the Results
There becomes a wide scale employee buy-in on the change. You start to see a free flow of information running in both directions between employee and employee and between employee and management. Problems are recognized as process issues not people issues.
As all employees become encouraged to participate in their organization and job employees welcome accountability as there is accountability for all.
Quality Note:
Most of the fear from employees is not with the Owner/CEO, but with the organization and previous experiences with other jobs and their own insecurity. Leadership continually strengthens, encourages and comforts employees. This consistency promotes truth that leads to trust.