Confused people don’t move.

We live in a chaotic time in healthcare and just about every other industry you can name. Yet work needs to be done and change needs to happen.

Your challenge as managers and leaders is getting people focused and keeping them flexible for whatever lies ahead.

How?

Be sure you have mapped out the four R’s of moving through change.

Reason Our resistance to change is well documented. In many ways it protects us as a species. Yet change is a mandate. It is estimated we see more change in one year than our grandparents faced in 70. The second biggest thing on peoples minds whenever change is announced that affects them is…why? The first step to mitigating confusion is telling people the reason for the change. Don’t confuse don’t stammer and don’t apologize. But don’t delay. The higher up ion the organization the “why” comes from the better accepted the reason. It doesn’t eliminate grumbling but is does explain.

Result Paint them a picture. Create a colorful image in their mind about what the final change will look like when successfully completed. This is not news; the Bible says “Man without a vision will perish”. We all like to travel with a map, yes, even men. The more vivid the image the more energy it generates. This step is critical to burning off any fog brought about by the announcement of change.

Route This answers the question of “what is going to happen and when is it going to happen”. This step is about the path that the change and those changed will be taking. When people know what the route is they can anticipate events better and prepare for them.

Role The number one question that instantly comes to anyone’s mind during times of change is “what about me??” It is, after all, all about me! People are tuned 24/7 to the radio station of the head whose call letters are well known WIFM. Let people know, in explicit terms, what you the leader expect them to do to the best of your ability. If you can’t say or don’t know, say so. Tell them that as soon as you can share the information with them or you find out the answers yourself you will let them know. Whatever you do, don’t, for lack of a better term, “kid” them.

The 4 R’s won’t just make leading and implementing change a bit easier; it will make it stick. Until the next change. Because confused people won’t move.