The only constant in business is change.

On the Managing to Make a Difference podcast, we’ve been talking about how managers can make a difference in the face of organizational change, and our latest podcast might be the single topic that makes people most uncomfortable – taking action on people issues.

We didn’t start here. We’ve talked about some of the more exciting, fun and positive elements of managing change, like:

Creating the right mindset by embracing change, instilling hope, having an appetite for new ideas and (maybe this will surprise you) not striving for 100 percent buy-in.
Helping people adjust to change more quickly and effectively by preparing for an unknowable future and over communicating when change does happen (click here for that podcast).

And this week we’re talking about what to do when, despite your best efforts, people are not adjusting effectively to change – or go so far as to actively block change. What do you do then?

Firing people is one option. But it’s only one of five we discuss…and it should be a last resort. Listen in as we discuss those other four options and the importance of balancing empathy with a bias toward action.

We hope the ideas we’re discussing in this week’s show will help you more effectively navigate the people issues associated with change. We love hearing your questions and responses. Please feel free to share them in a comment or by connecting with one of us on LinkedIn (see links to our profiles below).

Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!

+ Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.

This post highlights Chapters 65 and 66 of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see their latest updates.

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