We have all heard frustrated executives lamenting that they would love to change their organizations, but those darn employees are so resistant. "Why can't my employees just see the benefits of change and embrace it without my incessant oversight?" Simply, change is difficult. McKinsey & Company reports that 70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals. Both managers and employees bear responsibility for these failures. Understanding your employees as normal, change-resisting humans, and supporting them along the change process will increase your chances of success. Predictable, repetitive activities feel comfortable because they are stored in the brain's basal ganglia, which requires low energy levels to perform habitual tasks. When we ask someone to change, the energy-intensive prefrontal cortex must evaluate the change versus the status quo. Further, if the change is sudden, complex, or overwhelming, the amygdala triggers the flight or fight response. Compounding all of this exhausting brain stimulation, the University College of London evaluated the effect of physical exertion on the perception of reward. Their study, published in 2017, determined that our perception of the value of an outcome is skewed by the amount of effort we need to expend to achieve that outcome. Our minds try to convince us that low-hanging fruit is more delicious because it is easier to obtain! The challenge for organizational change agents is to manage the process to reward and habituate change. I think of General George S. Patton's quote whenever I am struggling with a challenging choice. "Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." Evaluated in this light, the risk of change typically pales in comparison to the potential learning value and exhilaration of success. Does embracing change mean I am risk-averse? Nope. Should we offer risk tolerance training to our employees to help them better embrace change? Again, no. Instead, organization leaders need to create a culture that helps teams internalize the idea that maintaining the status quo is more uncomfortable than risking change. There isn't a single playbook for all organizational change. You may be undergoing a complete rebranding of your entire business unit or trying to overhaul your environmental, health, & safety compliance program. Regardless of the scope, leaders must unflinchingly implement a cohesive strategy to implement change successfully. Communicate a clear goal. Share information with your employees, so they understand the purpose and expected results from the change initiative. Make the initiative time-bound. Change takes time, so be sure to share interim milestones. Clearly communicate an identity the troops can rally around, whether it is your new brand or the slogan of the EH&S task force. Secure organization-wide buy-in. Employees will have some skin in the game, so be upfront about how this will impact them. Lead with positive motivation. Each teammate is critical to successful change so work with front-line employees and supervisors to develop accountable implementation plans that specify their part in achieving the expected results. Provide extra support for changed tasks until they are internalized. Finally, listen to your team. They will come up with new ideas for improvement that you have not considered. Create space (physical or mental) to try out new ideas. Provide safe spaces to encourage your employees to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Encourage collaboration. If you can make it fun, even better. Enjoy the journey toward change. Change happens in stages, not all at once, so you might as well enjoy the ride. Celebrate compliance and wins early and often. Energize your team with optimism. Adjust and adapt. What seemed like a great plan in February may look like Swiss cheese by November. Be prepared to take two steps forward and one step backward. Go back to that safe space you created and learn from your shortfalls. Track success metrics regularly and adapt them to market and organizational changes. Change is an arduous journey that, if done collaboratively and resolutely, will reward you with a stronger organization. I'll let General Patton take us out with more words of encouragement. "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."