Your team is skeptical about process design changes. How can you earn their trust and support?

Listen first means listening before and during the process design effort. The team should be involved in all the steps before the change decision is made. Their input is necessary to design the right change. Then, when the change is ready to be implemented, we should listen again to catch all the adjustments to be made so the solution works perfectly.

I couldn’t agree more with “give a voice to what is driving those feelings.” We need to address this and mitigate the concerns and fears they have. This could be discussing previous experiences which didn’t go well.

Trust and care enough to ask! Great ideas made better by seeking input! As you articulate process designs & share innovative ideas, recognize the greater source of designs to deliver even better. Sharing requirements, setting clear expectations, actively seeking input on interpretations & design ideas aren't just beneficial—they're crucial. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone is on the same page & contributes unique perspectives. This is more than teamwork; it's transforming a vision to a compelling shared vision. Through collaboration, you collaborate for something more extraordinary than one could have initially imagined. Together, we can achieve remarkable results that delight, even exceed business requirements.

In addition to communicating benefits, I find the hands-on folks often also like to understand how we got to the recommendation. I.e. if we can show we talked to folks representing all aspects of the process, gave all recommendations respectful analysis, and present why we chose the process design changes we did, there is more buy-in. It can also help to share that this is just one iteration of improvement and more will come, assuming that's a true statement.

Process design changes are often met with skepticism and resistance, which is absolutely normal. First step is aligning own expectations when implementing such changes, designing a realistic timeline and a plan to overcome the resistance. The best practices of change management can come in handy here. Second step is working with your team, the primary stakeholders who will affected by the changes. I've found active, empathic listening and engaging with insightful open-ended questions can create a safe zone for the team members to communicate their concerns. Eventually, this open and collaborative exchange can be led gradually towards highlighting the benefits (win-win aspect) of the process design changes can ease the initial resistance.

Also, provide cheat sheets / quick reference guides for key points. Folks aren't going to stick a large comprehensive document to their whiteboard!

Schulungen sollten nicht nur zu Beginn der Umstellung angeboten werden, sondern kontinuierlich fortgeführt werden. Regelmäßige Auffrischungskurse und Weiterbildungsangebote helfen, das Wissen zu vertiefen und auf dem neuesten Stand zu halten.

Everyone loves the idea of a pilot. Many companies fall into the trap of forcing the pilot into becoming the production version. Be sure to get high-level buy in on what the pilot actually is (i.e. education).

Pilotprojekte bieten eine wertvolle Möglichkeit, neue Prozesse in einer begrenzten, kontrollierten Umgebung zu testen. Diese Tests helfen, potenzielle Probleme frühzeitig zu identifizieren und zu beheben, bevor die neuen Prozesse im gesamten Unternehmen eingeführt werden. Außerdem können positive Erfahrungen aus Pilotprojekten die Akzeptanz und das Vertrauen der restlichen Belegschaft stärken.

Ein schrittweiser Übergang minimiert das Risiko und ermöglicht eine bessere Anpassung der Mitarbeiter. In jeder Phase des Übergangs sollten regelmäßige Feedbackrunden stattfinden, um den Prozess kontinuierlich zu optimieren und sicherzustellen, dass sich das Team wohl fühlt und gut unterstützt wird.

Regelmäßige Check-ins und Feedback-Sitzungen: Diese ermöglichen es, Probleme schnell zu identifizieren und zu lösen. Sie bieten auch eine Plattform für Mitarbeiter, ihre Erfahrungen zu teilen und Verbesserungsvorschläge zu machen. Zusätzliche Schulungen und Workshops: Diese sollten zur Verfügung stehen, um spezifische Fragen zu klären und tiefer in bestimmte Themen einzutauchen. Helpdesk und Support-Teams: Ein dediziertes Support-Team kann helfen, technische Probleme zu lösen und Fragen zu beantworten, was das Vertrauen in das neue System stärkt und den Übergang erleichtert.