How to Transform Change Management to Motivate People

Motivation is critical to a success in change management. But too often our processes drag people down. Imagine change not as a burdensome load that we must haul up a mountain, but as an exhilarating leap into the air. This shift in perspective is crucial as we explore how to transform change from a chore to be avoided, into a dynamic, liberating force that elevates and motivates everyone involved.

Key Takeaway

Discover how transforming your approach to change management can turn the drudgery of task management for change into an uplifting dynamism that motivates and elevates your team.

Motivate Teams Through Change Management Needs To Go Beyond The Traditional Approach.

The traditional approach to change management too often demotivates people. It ends up becoming a burdensome to do list of actions, processes goals and milestones. It becomes a heavy load on top of everything else that we must all lug up the hill of change. This approach relegates change to the realm of the mundane, the burdensome, and the strictly necessary, rather than an opportunity for growth and expression.

Manage Change in a Way that Lifts & Motivates People.

Instead of forcing people to carry the heavy load of change, imagine change as a process of lifting people upwards. The change manager acting like a trampoline that propels people up into the air. The trampoline not only lifts people up into the air, but also catches us as we fall, ready to spring us back up again. Seeing change as an exhilarating leap upwards, rather than a laborious climb can radically shift people’s perspectives on change.

An Example of Lifting & Motivating People: Adobe: Transforming HR Functions for Strategic Change

The Challenge

Adobe, a global tech company with 11,000 employees, faced external pressures due to emerging technologies in the fiercely competitive tech industry. To adapt, Adobe shifted from selling licensed software in shrink-wrapped containers to offering cloud-based digital services.

The Motivation Innovation

1. HR Transformation: Adobe’s human resources (HR) function underwent a radical change. Instead of traditional administrative tasks and processes, HR became more employee focused. They engaged in proactive “walk-ins” to assist employees rather than waiting for calls.
2. Empowering Employees: Annual reviews were replaced by a dynamic “check-in” method. Employees assessed their growth goals whenever needed, receiving quick and continuous feedback. 

How to Create Change That Lifts & Motivates People

To enact this transformative vision, to motivate people, you need to create a time and safe space where people can express themselves. Start small: introduce initiatives that allow individuals to step out of their daily routines and into creative sprints. These can be short, time-bound periods devoted to exploring new ideas or ways of working that not only challenge the status quo, but also invigorate and engage staff.

Resistance to Change and Demotivation.

Resistance to this kind of change is not uncommon. It stems from the fear of the unknown and the comfort of the familiar and predictable. People have their comfortable niches and don’t want to change. They would prefer change to be someone else’s problem. In this situation forcing people to ‘be motivated’ often has the opposite effect and demotivates people.

How to Overcome Resistance to Change.

Whilst you can overcome this resistance is about demonstrating the tangible benefits of this new approach to change. The best way to overcome this fear is to not fight this head on, give people the time and space to make their own mind up and decide and engage. 

The Law of Diffusion of Innovation Shows that it Takes Time to Engage with Change

The diffusion of innovation theory tells us many people need the reassurance of seeing the change work for other people before engaging. So focus firstly on those early adopters who are most enthusiastic to engage in the process. Let them lead the way. Share success stories, celebrate early wins, and most importantly, ensure that everyone feels supported throughout the process.

The Science: A Grounded Theory Approach To Motivation For Change

Breckenridge et al. conducted a study titled “Motivating Change,” co-created with improvement organisations across the UK. The goal was to understand the conditions necessary for large scale, sustained change from the perspectives of front-line staff in healthcare, education and social care. Here are the key findings:

• Theory of Motivating Change: This theory posits that change is more likely to be sustained at scale when there is synergy between staff’s perceived need and desire for improvement and the extrinsic motivators for change. Witnessing effective change becomes motivating for staff, and positive outcomes provide a convincing argument for sustaining improvement activity.
• Trust and Positive Peer Pressure: Trust within organisations plays a crucial role. Normalising change and positive perceptions of change amongst staff capitalises on trust, suppresses negativity, and enables self-proliferating improvement.
• Application Framework: The study operationalised these concepts into a practical framework for planning and evaluating large-scale, sustainable change projects. The framework emphasises the alignment of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic factors.

Lift People Up to Motivate Transform Your Management of Change.

When change is a force that lifts people up rather than holding them down, it transforms challenges into opportunities. By redefining change as an uplifting force, we can let people show their true colours. We can motivate and engage people by allowing them to play to their strengths harness their passions and turn our workplaces into arenas of innovation and our tasks into opportunities for growth.

We should also look at motivation not just as top down process but as something that team mates foster in each other. So leaders of change need to look at creating horizontal motivation not just working vertically through the organisation to create change.

Lift People Up To Explore the Edge of Possible.

Join me in redefining the landscape of change. Let’s commit to turning the act of changing from a burdensome necessity into a liberating journey that propels us forward and motivates our teams. Let’s explore the Edge of Possible together. What’s your first step going to be?

Conclusion: Create An Uplifting Paradigm for Change

Embracing a new approach to change management can transform motivation. Changing it from a burdensome task to an exhilarating opportunity that uplifts everyone. By viewing change as a process that ‘lifts’ rather than ‘drags’. This shift requires a cultural embrace of human potential and creativity, turning apprehension into enthusiasm. Let’s nurture early adopters and celebrate victories to build confidence and innovate.

What step will you take today to uplift your team and explore the Edge of Possible?