Psychology and Motivation of People Change Management
The only thing that is constant in the workplace, and in life, is change. And seemingly, change happens faster and faster as advances like artificial intelligence/machine learning and the bot revolution continues to proliferate. Whether we realize it or not, the speed of change has psychological implications. Our brains do not adapt to the rapid speed of change due to new technologies in the workplace and as a result we have the potential to develop technostress.
The speed of change has no signs of slowing (like Willy Wonka's psycho-boat on the chocolate river...) but if we take time to understand the psychology and motivational drivers that influence organizational change AND use this information to mitigate and/or embrace resistance, change initiatives have a greater chance of succeeding.
The Goal of Organizational Change Management
Organizational change management is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling changes in an organization's structure, processes, culture, or technology. The primary goal of organizational change management is to improve organizational effectiveness by optimizing the way an organization operates. The psychology and motivation of organizational change management are critical components that contribute to the success of this process by considering how an individual experiences change.
Psychology of Organizational Change Management:
The psychology of organizational change management is concerned with the human side of change. People are the most important ingredient of any organization, and the psychology of change management focuses on understanding how people think, feel, and behave in response to change. There are three psychological aspects of organizational change management:
Perception: Perception plays a vital role in how people respond to change. How people perceive the change will influence their attitudes and behavior towards it. If employees perceive the change as positive, they are more likely to support it. If they perceive it as negative, they are more likely to resist it.
Attitude: Attitude is a state of mind that influences people's behavior. Positive attitudes towards change can be developed by creating awareness of the need for change, providing training and support, and involving employees in the change process. Negative attitudes towards change can be changed by addressing employees' concerns and fears and communicating the benefits of the change.
Behavior: Behavior is the outward expression of attitudes and perceptions towards change. People's behavior towards change can be influenced by providing incentives, rewards, and recognition for supporting the change. Negative behavior towards change can be addressed by providing feedback, coaching, and counseling.
Motivation of Organizational Change Management:
Motivation is the driving force that encourages people to take action. Motivation as it relates to organizational change management is to improve the performance and competitiveness of the organization. There are three motivational factors of organizational change management:
Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation is the internal drive to take action. Employees who are motivated by the desire to learn, grow, and achieve personal goals are more likely to support organizational change.
Extrinsic Motivation: Extrinsic motivation is the external drive to take action. Employees who are motivated by rewards, incentives, and recognition are more likely to support organizational change.
Social Motivation: Social motivation is the drive to take action based on social norms, values, and expectations. Employees who are motivated by a sense of belonging, identity, and loyalty to the organization are more likely to support organizational change.
The psychology and motivation of organizational change management are essential components that contribute to the success of the change process. Understanding how people perceive, think, feel, and behave towards change can help organizations develop effective strategies for managing change.
Motivating employees to support organizational change can be achieved by creating awareness, providing training and support, addressing concerns and fears, providing incentives, rewards, and recognition, and fostering a sense of belonging, identity, and loyalty to the organization.
Organizational change management is a complex and challenging process, but with the right psychology and motivation strategy in place, it can lead to improved organizational performance and competitiveness.
