What are effective strategies for overcoming resistance to change in large group facilitation?
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— The LinkedIn Team
Change is inevitable, but not always welcome. As a leader, you may face resistance to change from your team, stakeholders, or clients when you facilitate large group sessions. How can you overcome this challenge and create a positive and productive atmosphere for collaboration and learning? Here are some effective strategies for overcoming resistance to change in large group facilitation.
Resistance to change can stem from various factors, such as fear of the unknown, loss of control, lack of trust, or conflicting interests. Before you plan your facilitation, try to identify the sources of resistance among your participants. You can use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather feedback and insights. This will help you tailor your facilitation approach and address the specific concerns and needs of your audience.
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G A U R A N G - The Next Generation Leader
Gender Equality & Liberalization Advocate / Human Rights Defender/ Global Thought Leader / Youth Icon / Self Love Activist / Philanthropist / Personal Development Trailblazer / Founder GAURANG MOVEMENT
There is no shadow of doubt that change is inevitable and those who choose to resist change can never experience required transformation successfully Identify the root cause of resistance and then choose to work on it with a determined mindset for earning deserving growth and development!
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Rouven Behge
💡 Deliver industry-leading operational efficiency through knowledge management x leadership | COO Advisor from 🇨🇭🇩🇪
Facing active resistance during change is GOOD. Sounds counterintuitive, let me explain: Change is inevitable, and not always welcome. Different people have many reasons to dislike it, some rational, others seemingly irrational or emotional. Loss of control, lack of perceived benefit, bad experiences with past changes, peer pressure, etc. The more of them you experience as active resistance, the better. It's an OPPORTUNITY disguised as a challenge. An opportunity to listen, learn new perspectives, build trust and find the right resolution. Because even if these concerns are not openly expressed, they still exist. And such passive resistance is so much more difficult to manage, they might easily seem neutral and get overlooked.
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Brian Krogh
Public Speaking Coach | Lead Facilitator at Leadership Link | I help technical experts become expert communicators |
As a facilitator you must address what lies beneath the surface of resistance to change. It’s crucial to understand not only what they’re resistant too but why they’re resistant to it. Someone may be outwardly against a systems change and you can give all the data showing the efficiency of this new process, but if they’re worried the process will replace their job, the data will not help them accept the change until you address job security. When you encounter resistance move from thinking, “what is the best response I can give,” to “what is the best question I can ask.” The first leads to debate, the second leads to diplomacy where change can take place.
One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to communicate the benefits and risks of change clearly and convincingly. Explain the purpose and goals of your facilitation, and how it will help your participants achieve their desired outcomes. Highlight the positive impact of change on their performance, satisfaction, or well-being. At the same time, acknowledge the potential challenges and drawbacks of change, and how you will mitigate them. Be honest and transparent, and avoid overselling or underestimating the change.
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Prithviram Govinda Narayana Reddy
Growth - Strategy & Execution
While considering benefits and risks, it is important to consider the vantage point of different stakeholders and not just factor your own perspective.
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Birane Hane
Community Leader & Volunteer.
Communication is the bridge that spans the gap between resistance and acceptance of change. It's not just about relaying information; it's about creating a shared vision of the future. Imagine it as a map you provide to your participants as you embark on a journey. You must articulate the purpose and goals of your facilitation, showing how it directly connects with their desired outcomes. Furthermore, you must vividly illustrate how the change will positively impact their performance, satisfaction, or well-being. However, you can't navigate the path to change without acknowledging the potential pitfalls and challenges along the way, and explaining how you plan to navigate through them.
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Nainil Chheda
Get 3 To 5 Qualified Leads Every Week Or You Don’t Pay. I Teach People How To Get Clients Without Online Ads. Created Over 10,000 Pieces Of Content. LinkedIn Coach. Text +1-267-241-3796
Imagine your change initiative is a thrilling movie trailer. You're the director, and your job is to make your team crave the blockbuster experience. Showcase the benefits like heart-pounding action scenes—increased efficiency, career growth, and team synergy. But, just like a gripping plot twist, reveal the risks. Don't sugarcoat; spill the popcorn. Embrace the chaos, but assure them you're the superhero, ready to navigate the storm. Remember, your team is the audience. Make them buy tickets willingly, not under duress. With benefits and risks laid bare, your change saga becomes a must-watch blockbuster.
Another effective strategy to overcome resistance to change is to involve your participants in the change process. Rather than imposing change on them, invite them to co-create and shape the change with you. Use participatory methods and tools, such as brainstorming, voting, mapping, or prototyping, to engage your participants in generating ideas, solutions, or feedback. Give them a sense of ownership and empowerment, and show them that their input and contribution matter.
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Meera Patel
Top Brand Strategy Voice |LinkedIn growth expert 📈| Resume Writer & Personal Branding Expert | LinkedIn Profile Optimization | Social Media Marketing Strategist | Let's Create Your Standout Online Presence
Involving participants in the change process is a crucial element of successful change management. It fosters ownership and buy-in while reducing resistance. Engage them by seeking their input, involving them in decision-making, and creating channels for feedback. This collaborative approach empowers individuals, making them feel valued and more likely to embrace and actively contribute to the change. It also harnesses diverse perspectives to enhance the change's effectiveness and overall success.
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Elaine Pacheco
Career Consulting
O envolvimento da equipe no processo de mudança é mais que necessário. Atribua um papel para cada colaborador, destacando a importância deste papel em meio a todo o processo.
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Cameron Cosgrove
Retired Senior IT Leader/Executive
Use participative style: 1. Foster Open Dialogue: From the onset, encourage employees to voice their opinions and ideas about the change. 2. Include Key Stakeholders: Identify those who will be most impacted by the change and invite them to participate in decision-making processes. 3. Co-creation Workshops: Organize workshops where teams can brainstorm ideas, reveal potential challenges and collaborate on solutions. 4. Empower Teams: Instead of dictating tasks, give teams a goal and empower them to come up with the best ways to achieve it. 5. Cross-Functional Teams: Create teams with a mix of individuals from different departments. 6. Develop Change Champions: Encourage enthusiastic team members to take on roles as change champions.
Trust and rapport are essential for overcoming resistance to change in large group facilitation. Without trust and rapport, your participants may not be willing to listen to you, share their opinions, or collaborate with others. To build trust and rapport with your participants, you need to show respect, empathy, and curiosity. Respect their views and feelings, even if they differ from yours. Empathize with their emotions and challenges, and offer support and encouragement. Curious about their perspectives and experiences, and ask open-ended questions. Also, use humor, stories, or icebreakers to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
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Nainil Chheda
Get 3 To 5 Qualified Leads Every Week Or You Don’t Pay. I Teach People How To Get Clients Without Online Ads. Created Over 10,000 Pieces Of Content. LinkedIn Coach. Text +1-267-241-3796
Trust and rapport are pivotal in navigating resistance to change during large group facilitation. Absence of trust stifles communication and collaboration. Show genuine respect, empathy, and curiosity to foster a positive environment. Acknowledge diverse viewpoints, empathize with emotions, and express support. Fuel curiosity by asking open-ended questions, promoting engagement. Leverage humor, stories, or icebreakers to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, strengthening the foundation of trust.
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Manish Gupta
On a Mission to help 1 Million professionals on finance & business management and Technology | Author Mastering Budgeting and Forecasting Principals for Hospitality
we carried out basic training sessions, consulting, collaboration in designing reports and processes. which helped participants to be more accepting to the change accepted. we also helped them to see other companies where similar systems were used so they could see how other similar peoples are managing with the change.
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Birane Hane
Community Leader & Volunteer.
Facilitating change in a large group isn't a one-way street; it's a two-way interaction that hinges on trust and rapport. Think of it as setting the stage for a meaningful dialogue. Trust and rapport aren't just nice-to-haves; they're your essential tools. Without them, you might as well be speaking to a wall. Establishing trust and rapport is an art. It starts with the simple act of respecting their views and feelings, even when they diverge from yours. It means empathizing with their emotions and challenges, and offering a helping hand and a word of encouragement. It's also about being genuinely curious about their perspectives and experiences, and asking questions that invite discussion.
Finally, one of the most effective strategies for overcoming resistance to change is to provide feedback and recognition to your participants. Feedback and recognition can help your participants monitor their progress, identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and celebrate their achievements. Provide constructive and timely feedback throughout your facilitation, and use positive and specific language. Recognize your participants' efforts and contributions, and express your appreciation and gratitude. Feedback and recognition can boost your participants' confidence, motivation, and commitment to change.
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Elaine Pacheco
Career Consulting
A cada etapa superada no processo de mudança, converse com sua equipe utilizando três perguntas: - O que fizemos muito bem - O que não fizemos bem - Como poderemos fazer daqui para frente Na primeira pergunta, elogie, destaque os principais feitos. Na segunda pergunta mostre os aprendizados e como podem melhorar. Na terceira pergunta crie estratégias junto com a equipe.
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Ajay Kumar Vaddadi
Senior Manager @ LinkedIn | Growth, Data/ML Infra
Depending on the change, pre work is equally important. Even before making the formal change, Reiterating the need for change and listening to opinions/brainstorming as a thought exercise before hand can reduce the impact of the change.
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Jene' Liddell
Helping LARGE COMPANIES use EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK and CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS TO MAKE MORE MONEY FASTER 💵💵💵 [Corporate Consultant] [ #1 Customer Complaint Resolver ] [Process Guru] [Employee Motivational Speaker] [BPM]
First, you need to come to some common ground, what are the important things that you all can agree upon? Second, ask for suggestions and feedback from the large group to see what they would change and how they would address the issue at hand. Then, see how those suggestions line up with the change agenda, surprisingly those suggestions might closely align with the change. Lastly, come back together with the large group to discuss their alignments with the change. This method will open them up for the change because they will think it was their idea.
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Anthony Permyakov
Co-Founder & CEO at ByteMinds – dedicated teams for web architecture, development, deployment and support. Microsoft Gold Partner.
In our cases it helps when we bring an external expert/consultant who tells all the team what and why could be changed and how. The team may accept it more easily then, because they trust that the expert has experience and made these changes several times in other teams/companies. As they say—A prophet is not without honour save in his own country. So bring external prophets when needed :)
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