How to Overcome the Resistance to Change in Policy and Procedure Writing
(Excerpt)
Let’s name our elephant “Status Quo.” People seem to be adverse to change—after all—who wants their cheese moved? Perhaps that’s why when you write new policies and procedures, you may encounter resistance from your readers.
When people learn that a new policy or procedure is about to be unveiled, the following comments may be heard: “You have got to be kidding—right? We have never done it this way before. This is the stupidest policy/procedure I have ever seen! Whose idea was this in the first place?”
First of all, people’s reactions have nothing to do with the way in which you have written your document. Most likely it comes down to fear—fear of the unknown. People’s discomfort may include these specific fears:
- Fear of looking foolish
- Fear of being taken advantage of
- Fear of failure
- Fear of losing face
Try following these six basic steps the next time you are faced with writing policies and procedures:involve, explain, listen, enforce, reinforce, evaluate.
