New business strategies can sometimes meet with resistance from managers and employees. People get comfortable with the way they've always done things and may need coaxing to get on board with new concepts and approaches. Sometimes a fast transition works best ensuring that new processes are adopted immediately, with no exception. Slow integration processes can also work, depending on your employees’ temperaments and ability to manage change.

Talk to Managers First

Tell your managers about the new processes first. Describe the processes and explain your expectations of how your managers will help administer the change. Educating your managers about why the changes are necessary and what has to happen to fully implement new strategies will help bring them over to your way of thinking. Be upbeat and excited about the changes and emphasize the positive results you anticipate seeing from the new approach. Once managers are motivated, they can be effective getting employees on board as well.

Provide Warning

Don't just spring a new strategy on your staff. Even if you plan to introduce something quickly rather than ease in, advance notice will be helpful to get people mentally prepared for the change. Be specific about your implementation plan. If possible, provide a definitive date of when the new strategies will be implemented, or the phases of new processes introduced. Fully explain steps that need to take place to prepare for transitions, and outline individual roles and responsibilities in the process.

Educate Staffers

Motivate employees by providing them with the tools and resources they need to be fully prepared to effectively implement your new strategies. If there's a learning curve involved, such as training on new equipment, reassure employees that they’ll be skilled and knowledgeable about their responsibilities before they’re asked to take on new tasks. Simultaneously train managers on their new oversight duties to ensure continuity and make them feel confident in their roles. The unknown is often what drives resistance to new things, so preparing staffers for changes will help ease the transition.

Provide Incentives

Incentive programs can motivate staffers to push themselves to greater heights, achieve more and support your initiatives. Provide an incentive like paid days off, cash bonuses, a great parking spot, or some other perk that will create friendly competition and get staffers enthused about implementing your new strategies. Instruct your managers to monitor attitudes and progress, and encourage them to trouble-shoot any resistance or problems early in the transitional process.