Mid-level managers are pushing back on culture change initiatives. How can you win them over?

1)Listen and understand objections: Colleagues want to feel heard. 2)Focus on the “what” first, then the “how”: Make colleagues part of the solution. 3)Remove barriers within your control: Help people find alternative perspectives or points of view. 4)Provide simple, clear choices and consequences: Show colleagues how their choices can impact themselves and the team. 6)Create hope: Present an opportunity for a better future, and share why you’re passionate about the change, but be sure not to make any false promises.

It’s critical to involve front line leaders when driving cultural change. The best way is to include managers as a working group to help champion and implement the cultural change initiatives. You will need to make them feel like they are part of the design and not just the implementation. The ROI for doing this is that managers often have a clear view of what may and may not work in the organization. They can help identify obstacles, resistance, and things that the executives don’t see. By getting them involved during the design phase, you will ensure greater buy-in during the roll out and a higher chance of success.

To prevent resistance I’d take a step back and suggest you involved them in the process from the beginning. When people feel taken into consideration, they commit more easily. Make sure you assess, determine and target your people’s paint points while developing the new culture. If focus is merely on the company and the rest of the team don’t feel like there’s something positive in it for them too, it will be more difficult to have them on board. Once resistance is there, I’d do a 1-1 session with the detractors and understand their point of few. Sometimes managers can’t see all the operation level challenges and you might learn a thing or two.

Communication is especially important during change to ensure support while keeping colleagues focused on daily tasks. You must continually communicate the need, vision, and impact of change (why the change is occurring, what’s in it for colleagues, and the expected benefits of change); you must give your teams opportunity for two-way dialogue. Remember, people must hear info 5-7 times in 5-7 ways before they remember it. For example, if your team has heightened fears/concerns about the unknown (job security, new ways of working, etc.), then communicate as frequently/transparently as possible while listening to and addressing concerns. Don't downplay negative implications associated with change; recognize/emphasize what colleagues feel.

Managers need information and involvement so that they can lead their teams. They need change capability learning development as well as support as changes are happening. They need to feel confident that they can support their teams during change and without being in the loop this becomes difficult as they just have to deal with the side effect and impact of change post change.