Creating Awareness As Part Of Creating Alignment

Introduction

Lack of awareness has been given as one of the main reasons for resistance to change (Prosci, 2023v)

Awareness is defined as understanding the need to change by sharing both the nature of the change and explaining why this change is necessary; part of this involves understanding

- the business drivers or opportunities that will arise in the need for change

- why change is needed now

- the risks of not changing.

Some ways to build awareness of the need for change:

- communicate, especially about the need for change

- an event, ie something happens to make people understand the need to change

- an observable condition that demonstrates the need to change

- readily-accessible information that illustrates reality

- catastrophic disaster it creates a sense of urgency

- weak financial performance demonstrates the need to change

- meetings to explain the situation.

Some obstacles to building awareness:

- lack of trust, eg in the messenger about the need to change

- resistance

- comfort with the status quo- lack of knowledge or understanding about need to change

- rumours or misinformation.