• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Enclaria: Influence Change at Work

Equipping individuals and teams to influence organizational change

  • Change Academy
  • Toolkit
  • Free Influence Course
  • Change Academy
  • Toolkit
  • Free Influence Course

How to squeeze change into already busy schedules

When you implement change in organizations, most people in the organization have a full-time job they are already doing. Especially at a time when companies are doing more work with fewer people, a common issue for change agents is trying to add more tasks to already full to-do lists.

Some people will tell you they don’t have time. Others seem to ignore your e-mails or meeting requests. So how do you squeeze your change initiative into already jam-packed schedules?

  • Change your internal monologue. If you view your request as being a burden on the person before you even ask, then your request will come off that way. If you believe your initiative is worth doing, then don’t apologize for it! Reflect the value in your own attitude.
  • Acknowledge that they are busy. Respect their time. Keep it short, and start and end on time. Prepare in advance to make the best use of their time. If you waste it, you reduce your chance of getting another opportunity.
  • Enlist them to define what they can do. When you get push-back about time, find out what they are willing to take on. Then get them to commit to a time line so you can hold them accountable.
  • Make it easy. Give them as little work as possible. Break it into small doable chunks.
  • Realize that later might be better. If there is truly too much going on to devote the required attention to your initiative, it’s probably best to not cram it in. Agree on a later date to come back to it, or find someone else who can do it instead.

What might you do to squeeze change into people’s busy schedules?

Share
Previous Post: « Three Signs You’ve Crossed the Line From Influence to Manipulation
Next Post: Radio Show: Everyday Influence »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

free five drivers of change video course Get the Free Course

Upcoming Events

  1. Accelerate Your Influence: Make a Bigger Impact at Work

    June 7 @ 6:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT
  2. Fundamentals of Influencing Change at Work | Online Course

    July 29 - September 2

View All Events

** Change Management Course **

Fundamentals of Influencing Change at Work - Online

eventbanner

Jul 29 - Sept 2, 2021
Register Now

On-Demand Video Course

Unlock Resistance to Change

Unlock Resistance to Change Course

Spark more moments when people stop resisting and embrace change.

Take the Class

Change Toolkit

toolkit image Get the Toolkit

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Change Projects vs. Organizational Change
  • The Four Stages of Change Management
  • Top Change Articles of 2020 at Enclaria
  • When Good Leadership Masks Resistance
  • Four Emotions That Keep People From Embracing Change
Tweets by @heatherstagl

Footer

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Search this Site

Log In

Upcoming Events

  1. Accelerate Your Influence: Make a Bigger Impact at Work

    June 7 @ 6:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT
  2. Fundamentals of Influencing Change at Work | Online Course

    July 29 - September 2

View All Events

Navigation

Contact
About Enclaria
Blog
Podcast

Copyright © 2021 Enclaria: Influence Change at Work ยท All Rights Reserved