Why Change Fails - and How to Make It Stick

In this episode of Business Made Smarter, host Ed Nell is joined by Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and Managing Director of Executive Training Consultancy, to dig into one of the most challenging aspects of running a business - managing change. Whether it is a new piece of technology, a shift in internal processes or a change that will affect customers directly, Doug breaks down why so many change initiatives fall flat and what business owners can do differently. The answer, it turns out, is less about the change itself and almost entirely about how it is communicated and who is brought along for the journey. **Key Takeaways** **Most people are hardwired to resist change.** It is not stubbornness - it is survival instinct. Human beings are built to find comfort in routine and to fear the unknown. Understanding this as a business owner means you stop asking why people are resistant and start thinking about how to reduce the fear around what is coming.. **Buy-in is everything.** If the people affected by a change do not want it to happen, it will not happen - no matter how much pressure is applied from the top. Getting buy-in means selling the benefits, not just the change itself. Once someone can see what is in it for them, their attitude shifts. **Always start with the outcome.** Before communicating any change internally or externally, be clear on what you are actually trying to achieve and why. Change for its own sake wastes time and money. If you cannot articulate the benefit, it is worth asking whether the change is necessary at all. **Internal and external change follow the same rules.** Whether you are managing a team through a new process or communicating a change to clients, the approach is the same - explain what is happening, why it is happening and how it will benefit the people it affects. Customers and staff deserve the same level of transparency. **If it is not working, pause and listen.** When a change is meeting resistance mid-implementation, the instinct to push harder rarely helps. Bringing people together, asking what is going wrong and genuinely listening to the answers will almost always surface the real problem - and point toward the solution. **Key Moments** "If you don't know what's coming, there's a built-in fear. It's a survival mechanism - human beings need to know what's around the corner." "As soon as people want the benefit, they are happy to have the change." "Communication is everything. If you don't communicate around change management, you might as well forget it." **About Business Made Smarter** Business Made Smarter is the podcast from Executive Training Consultancy, bringing no-nonsense practical advice to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive. Hosted by Ed Nell and featuring Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and MD of Executive Training Consultancy, each episode draws on over two decades of real-world business experience to give listeners strategies and insights they can start putting to use straight away. **How to Get in Touch** To book a free two-hour business review with one of ETC's expert consultants: Website: www.exec-tc.com If you found this episode useful, subscribe, share it with your network and leave a review. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.