The new rental system. How can you help employees transition faster?

You have discovered that your rental company needs to change to keep up with the digital innovations. You’ve done a lot of research and decided which rental solution to implement. Of course, you’ve included your employees in your research and decision-making. Most of your employees are behind your decision. You have made sure they are prepared and trained to cope with the new rental system.

You’ve done everything in your power to prevent major problems during the implementation process. But now that your employees have started working with this new rental system, everything seems to be different. People who were enthusiastic beforehand are now complaining. Tasks take much longer to finish. Communication problems have begun to arise and everyone seems to miss the old system.

Of course, you knew the implementation process would cause new challenges. And that some people need more time to get used to a new system. You know these problems will pass. In a year or so, everything will work smoothly and the benefits of this new rental system will become clear. But you also know that employee resistance is one of the leading reasons behind failed implementations. In this article, we will discuss several reasons for your employees’ reactions. And how to deal with the most common ones.

Image 1: Reactions to the process can be as surprising for them as it is for you

Irrational worries

Some of your employees started out very positive about the change. But as the implementation drew closer, they began to worry. They have all kinds of irrational fears about the system’s performance, but mostly about their own. They are worried they can’t learn fast enough and are afraid to fail. This happens on a subconscious level, which is why it may not be obvious. Their reactions to the process can be as surprising for them as it is for you.

So how can you help them adapt? Take their complaints seriously and try to read between the lines. Once you know what their irrational worries are, you will be able to comfort them and give them support. This will transform employee complaints into employee support.

Emotional intelligence

Your employees’ emotional intelligence is an important factor for their reactions. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your own feelings and those of others. If employees’ emotional intelligence is low. There is a strong possibility that they will have more irrational worries that they are unaware of. If their emotional intelligence is high, they are usually less insecure and can adapt more easily to changes.

But of course, employees with high emotional intelligence can also complain. So how can you help them adapt? Employee with high emotional intelligence are likely to have legitimate complaints. It is important to take them seriously. Listening can be enough to ease these complaints. It is also possible for a negative employee to have high or low emotional intelligence. This person may have already been unhappy before the implementation. So how do you support this employee?

Make sure to figure out why the employee is negative in general. For example, it could be that there is something wrong in his or her private life. When you know what is wrong, you can help the employee with the problem. And ask for his or her support in the implementation process. Let him or her know that his or her negative attitude is not helping and is influencing the atmosphere. Ask him or her what he or she needs from you to change the behavior.

Image 2: How do you support your employees?

Defense mechanisms may differ

People have different kinds of defense mechanisms. The most common reason behind these mechanisms is fear of new situations. But people can also be insecure about themselves or their position. As stated before, when people are afraid or insecure, it can cause irrational fears about the change at hand. The ways in which these defense mechanisms manifest can differ. Some people complain, while others lose their motivation. Some employees may start to postpone their work. It is important to be aware of the fact that not all defense mechanisms are immediately visible. This is why it is of great importance to be aware of slight changes. Make sure that when the process of implementing the new rental system starts, you keep the lines of communication open. This way, you can nip the problem in the bud.

Do you want to know how we can help you? Please contact us at info@highsoftware.com for more information.