146 PART II Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap

changes have on careers? He asked everyone who had a concern or question to write it anonymously and submit it to him prior to an all-hands meet- ing. That way he could look at all the papers before he faced his 100-person management team.

In the meeting, I watched him respond openly to all the questions and comments. Because he seemed to appreciate the questions, others began asking follow-up questions from the floor. He had found a safe way to invite and unleash some of the major criticism and concern about his program. Would he hear all of it in a single meeting? Probably not. The actual erup- tions on Mount Saint Helens lasted for weeks. Why should our lives be any easier? But it was a great start.

Make It Easy for People to Speak

Start with the familiar: allow people to talk with others whom they trust. During a particularly painful reorganization, senior management needed to hear what was blocking implementation. It was important for all units to get crucial issues out on the table.Peoplebegan by discussing these issues in their own groups first. By starting to work in familiar surroundings, people gained comfort talking about the issues. One person recorded comments and reported the results of the discussion to the entire group. Since comments were not attributed to the individuals who made them, people felt some degree of safety.Once issues are mentioned publicly, the spell is lifted. People often feel free to address things openly that an hour before were taboo.

Review Formal Surveys

Anonymous employee surveys can provide a wealth of information if you use resistance as the lens to examine the results. Many companies routinely ask staff to complete one of these attitude surveys. Typically, they include questions about leadership, teamwork, planning—virtually all aspects of management and human relations. Often managers or teams throughout the organization develop strategies to raise poor scores and keep better practices on track.

In addition to interpreting the results as you normally would, consider what they are saying in light of the proposed (or recently implemented) changes.