When people can see how an initiative contributes to business (or department) success – how it responds to the marketplace, the company vision, and the execution of strategy to achieve the vision – they perceive the change as relevant and make a commitment to change. Most major change initiatives are launched to enable the organization to effectively implement its overarching business strategy in response to marketplace dynamics. In general, relevance occurs when people see how something fits into the larger scheme of things. We know this all too well! Perceiving Change Initiatives as Relevant Just because leaders say something is going to change doesn’t mean that stakeholders will understand it, do it, or sustain it. People must see themselves as contributing in ways they can relate to in support of the future of the business. Without perceiving relevance and meaning, there is no employee commitment. And to believe in anything, people must see its relevance and meaning. Most people commit to what they believe in. The pushback is usually not an employee issue, but a change leadership issue.
Leaders often interpret lack of employee commitment as resistance, but it is more likely stakeholders not understanding why the changes are essential to the success of the business, and importance of their role in it. This makes it difficult for them to have a personal commitment to change. Employees know they are being asked or pressured to change, but they often do not know why in terms that are meaningful to them. Most organizations have many change initiatives occurring at once, in all parts of the organization, large and small – all making demands on people.
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