Purpose of discussion
Embracing Change: Why answering the WHY question develops employees

We do a lot of talking to employees. Much of the talking we do to employees is about changes. In fact, we do so much talking to employees about change; employees humorously use Time Warner Cable’s initials to exclaim: THINGS WILL CHANGE!
Is change good? Think about this? Is change good? John F Kennedy once said:
“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
So, change is not only good, change is the only way a company will move forward and survive.
Although we each hear about changes and how changes will improve this function or that, we tend to lose sight on how those changes will affect our employees.
For those of us who have been with the company for at least the past decade know we have changed repeatedly to compete in this market.
Let me ask you a question. As your manager I come to you or your group and tell you we are changing a major process and everyone will have to put in extra hours each week, take on more responsibility, and still maintain your current responsibility levels.
What is your FIRST question?
WHY?!
Most likely you will say this in inwardly and then outwardly in a rather exasperated way.
We have to stop using this built in human belief: “My Employees will accept change because I tell them to.”
Why: It’s a simply three letter word that carries so much weight and power, yet we as managers tend to give a Non-Answer.
By show of hands, how many of you have asked this question and simply were told “Because XZY said so” Or “just because”
These are classic examples of NON-Answers
The definition of non-answers is: An answer that is void of any substance to answer the question at hand.
Pretty simple definition but the weight of this is: We cannot continue to give