How to be a catalyst for change in your firm | Karbon Magazine
How to be a catalyst for change in your firm
Bringing a new idea to the table is often met with resistance. Learn the tactics needed to face new challenges and how to help others overcome reluctance to change.
New ideas can help you and your firm save time, money and increase the number of clients you serve.
But any idea—whether it’s a new tool, system, process, or just a new way to do things—requires change. And people resist change.
If you’ve identified a need for change at your accounting firm, how do you ensure the necessary improvements are made? How can you create buy-in, when others in your firm might be reluctant to try something new?
Why change is often met with resistance
In all workplace communication, empathy is key. You may disagree with those in your team who are resistant to change, but it’s important to understand why they feel the way they do.
The first step? Learn their objections to change.
Here are 4 concerns many leaders have when facing new challenges and changes.
"What we’re doing is working fine." Accountants love processes and getting things the exact way they want them. And by the time someone has grown into a leader in their firm, it’s likely they’ll be fairly familiar with those processes. When you present change, it’s likely you’ll hear this one.
"A big switch will slow people down." Most firms aren’t as concerned about budget as they are mistakes and time. Making big changes in how people work opens up the potential for lost time and an increase in mistakes. Both of these problems cost money.
"I don’t see the benefit." This concern is most common with new tech. If those you’re trying to convince are a bit older, to them, it may not sound necessary to switch to a new solution.
"It's too expensive." Resistance to change can come down to dollars. If a new system is an additional cost to what is being spent today, or more expensive than something it would replace, it can be hard for some people to get past this.
4 ways to overcome resistance towards a new process or tool
Now that you’re ready for the objections, it’s time to prepare the information and tactics you’ll need to overcome reluctance.
1. Recognize other recent changes
Knowing trends and other changes your colleagues are currently dealing with helps you understand their decision-making process.
Have you recently onboarded a new tool? Have your processes been updated? Has the firm's structure changed?
Take note of trends, big news, and recent changes in your firm. See how these changes affect everyone. And think about how your idea fits into the current culture.
2. Keep momentum and get to the next step
The biggest challenge in achieving change is follow-through. When you share your idea, there’s actually a good chance you will get a positive response.
The leaders in your firm will probably agree with your ideas and say something along the lines of, “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We’ll need to upgrade at some point.”
The key is moving forward into an actual practical step. It’s too easy to table decisions around change: “let’s revisit this next quarter.” If you want momentum, you have to know the next step in the process.
As the internal catalyst for change, you have to think a bit like a salesperson. A good sales person always knows 1. The decision-maker, and 2. The next action.
Who is the primary person at your firm that needs to be on board for a change to happen?
For example, if you think a software tool is needed to help your firm move forward, you need to connect that decision-maker with a demo of that software.
3. Lead with context: Focus on benefits
One of the most effective ways to get buy-in on an idea is to make sure the idea is not coming only from you. In your accounting firm, think about what your team wants, especially those decision-makers:
When bringing an idea about innovative technology, try to find other opinions, data, and case studies to support you. Understand what those who are resistant to change really want, and lead with that context.
Another similar approach is to listen to internal dialogue within the team. If you’ve heard co-workers complaining about a sticking point, you can introduce a new technology solution from the context of this pain.
4. Finally, listen to the objections
While the above tips will help get the foot in the door, the resistance to change is very real. The final step in being the catalyst in your firm is to have a proper dialogue. Start with great preparation, and:
Fully understand the change you would like to see
Know what your leaders are currently doing and how the change fits into those moves
Begin conceptualizing how the change will happen in your firm
Once you’ve prepared as well as you can, it’s time to make the case for your idea. Even the best proposal won’t likely end with, “Ok, let’s do it!”
It might, but don’t get your hopes up.
The best thing you can do is listen. After all, you want to make the change for the good of the firm. And if you really understand the change, you’ll be more than ready to talk it out and convince them to move forward.
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Managing Editor, Karbon Magazine
You may disagree with those in your team who are resistant to change, but it’s important to understand why they feel the way they do.
Common objections to change include: "What we’re doing is working fine", "A big switch will slow people down", "I don’t see the benefit", "It's too expensive."
Preparation and empathy are key in getting your idea over the line.
Before you can make plans to grow your accounting firm, you must take the time to fully understand where you stand now and exactly what you want to achieve.
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