Writing Effective Policies and Procedures: A Step-By-Step Resource for Clear Communication
Nancy J. Campbell
Chapter 10 – But That’s Not the Way We’ve Always Done It
Introduction
Despite all your hard work and effort, it’s important to recognize that new policies and procedures often invite resistance.
Don’t Give Up
Change is hard and takes time to process, so start at the beginning and try to avoid getting discouraged.
Dealing With Resistance
Most resistance to change stems from fear. There are many different types of fear. There are also six basic steps that you can take to help users manage the change.
- Involve
- Explain
- Listen
- Enforce
- Reinforce
- Evaluate
Early Communication
Always remember that early communication reduces later resistance. Involving users upfront is the best way to combat negativity. It is better to begin with involvement then to end with it.
Early Detection
Often your users may have been through a similar situation and think it will either fade away or end up to their disadvantage. Use open, honest communication to help address these concerns. Early detection also identifies the biggest resisters, so you’ll know with whom you’ll need to take a firm stand.
Advance Preparation
Consistently involving users in the development process gives them more time and knowledge with which to work through the issues, generally resulting in more cooperative behavior. Forewarned is forearmed.
Continuing Education
Running ideas by users and keeping them updated as to the status of the project will help them to remain stay involved and prevent the process from losing steam. This constant communication with users strengthens your final product.
Final Notice
As long as you have communicated and educated your users continuously throughout the development process, the final notice shouldn’t come as a shock. By acknowledging sensitive issues and honing your listening skills, you can demonstrate respect for their viewpoints. You can also mobilize cooperative users to help encourage wider acceptance of new policies and procedures.
Grace Periods
Grace periods allow for a more gradual transition between the old way of doing things and the new. These are especially useful in cases where there is strong resistance. They provide additional preparation time before full enforcement of the new rules.
How to Use a Grace Period
Using a series of notices helps to keep everyone informed as the date of full enforcement approaches. The first notice might inform users of the impending changes, and state that the rules will be enforced informally for a period of time. The second notice warns of the deadline for full enforcement. The third reminder states that the new rules are in full effect and the disciplinary consequences for breaking them.
Delivering Bad News
When a new policy or procedure is simply downright unpopular, continuous communication throughout the development process remains even more crucial. There are two very important strategies for delivering the bad news.
Preempting
Identify the likely objections that will be raised and begin the communication process by addressing those issues first.
Taking the Heat
It is important that those who enact new policies and procedures take responsibility for them and can defend their position. Again, patience and receptivity is key.
Here Comes Trouble
There are several perceptions that a new policy or procedure may invoke in users that are guaranteed to cause trouble. These include:
- Unfairness
- Negativity
- Hypocrisy
- Pointlessness
- Unworkableness
- Restrictiveness
When the Writer Is the Resister
If you as a writer have objections to a policy or procedure, be sure to deal with your own concerns in the same thoughtful, level-headed way that you would deal with users’. One way is to write down your concerns and frustrations, then write down the reasons for the new rules and the circumstances that are driving them. Be gracious and professional and abide by the organization’s rules.
Conclusion
3 comments:
I find all of Campbell's suggestions and key points to be very true. Where I work people often resist change and do not like being told what to do. I do know when we are involved in the development process, there is less resistance, we feel as though we have a say and that the process is not a done deal yet. Whether we actually have a say or not.
When I started working at my job last summer, it seemed like all I heard about was the restructure. Anyone that had been with the company for more than a few months was outraged about all the new ways to do things. I didn't really know what was going on, but I figured it had to be bad since everyone was talking about it. A couple months later, the company restructured again. They didn't tell us why, we just got moved around. At this point, I realized that the actual moving around wasn't that annoying, it was not knowing why we were changing everything that got on my nerves. If the company had followed the six basic steps Campbell mentions, I think the change would have gone over a lot better.
From my experience working at restaurants I can say that the managers there don't like change. I've been questions for doing something differently many times even though the method I used was quicker or easier then the method I was taught.
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