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long-term goals and objectives and know where they stand as individuals. Make individual and team responsibil- ities crystal clear from the beginning. Managers can then involve these teams in the planning process. It is also important for managers to define those peo- ple within the team who are “change agents” – people whose personal enthusiasm can be harnessed to help move the change to a successful conclusion. Another way to spur communications is to build dialog with a “special suggestion program.” Not only should all sales managers develop the habit of talking with and listening to everyone on staff, but all employ- ees should have an opportunity to contribute ideas and ask questions. “We solicited input on the new system before choosing one – and then exhaustively pre-sold it to the staff before initiating the changeover,” Hale says. Winton credits careful orchestration of each step of the overall plan with sustaining a positive attitude toward change. “We created excitement about the fact that promotions were possible for many in the near future. They sent out teasers in the early stages to let the rest of the company know that something new was coming. At a managers’ meeting, we kicked off the new concept of telesales by painting the big picture of where telesales would take us as a company. Com- munication is key in our business. We had transitional conference calls with the teams and the new manager. I started selling the credentials [of the manager who would replace me] to those under my supervision weeks before anyone even knew about the transition. The first two days I continued to call and congratulate my old division on a good job. Then I eased out of it. I let the new managers handle all situations and get all of the credit for the new progress.”


2. TRAINING Early in the planning process, determine what training will be needed for each individual. Some staff and managers may need training in various interpersonal skills – leader- ship or team building, for example.


Get people psyched about the transition. Challenge people to learn new skills by stressing how the changes will open doors to new possibilities. Training removes the fear of the unknown and the feelings some individuals may have about not being able to perform new tasks. Train- ing and education are also important for maintaining the momentum for change. However, no matter how positive the change may be, some people will go through a kind of grieving process for the old system or the way things used to be. According to Michael Dworkin, sometimes training on how to change is needed. “This can be a productive sort of grieving,” he ex- plains. “Once they get past fear and upset about change, they will begin to see the change as an opportunity.”


3. MINIMIZE RESISTANCE


Good communication and training also can minimize resis- tance – both active and passive. How do you recognize active resistance? Verbal and written complaints, for starters, are clear indications that all is not well. Man- agers can usually deal with active resistance by clearly and logically showing the opportunities the change will offer. Better still, managers can avoid such resistance in the first place by keeping the lines of communication open and providing training that overcomes objections before they are ever raised. “We got in front of every situation – we conditioned for it and put people in position to succeed,” Winton recalls. “We created more opportunity for more people. Therefore, they stepped up to the plate.”


Keeping people in the dark will undoubtedly lead to re- sistance. Instead, Winton advises, let staff members see the roles they will play in the new organization. Reassure them of their job security, explain the possibilities for advance- ment, and explain to them that they will have adequate training and time to adapt. Passive resistance, on the other hand, is much more dif- ficult to detect. Like an iceberg, much of passive resistance lies beneath the surface – giving managers a false sense of the staff’s acceptance of the changes. Misunderstandings, fear, and emotional mistrust breed such resistance. Again, frank and open discussions and follow-through


help prevent such mistrust. McHale notes that her company minimized the risks of change by creating a strategy to get input from everyone in the organization affected by the change. “Regular updates on voicemail and meetings to share success stories helped keep morale high during the transition,” she recalls.


4. MONITOR AND MEASURE Establish performance measures and a baseline before the change process begins. Then, as steps are completed, performance can be measured. “We track sales-closing rates,” Hale says. “Right now it is too early for good statistical evidence, but anecdotal information shows that results are positive on our new system.” Sales managers and their sales teams aren’t the only ones having to adapt to change. How will your customers react during and after the transition? McHale notes that, when the customer-service team re- cently began using a new computer system, the transition impacted everyone – including customers. McHale had to make sure they wouldn’t panic and jump ship. “We made sure to communicate to our customers that the change would be innovative and exciting – not only to us, but also to them,” she recalls. “This explanation was prepared by management to help the sales staff understand how the new change would positively affect service and sales and to enable the sales staff to find creative solutions for custom- ers during the transition and within the new process.” 


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