You’re so vain, I bet you think this change is about you

When it comes to overseeing a big change within your company, it’s very easy to cast yourself as the main character - you have a clear vision in your mind about what will work, how you’ll implement the plan, and how long it will take to do so. You might even be picturing yourself as the hero of the hour, with a dazzling project that will be completed in the blink on an eye, and on budget too – even if the finance department has allocated you the smallest pot of money ever seen in the history of change management projects.

The problem? Everyone else in the company has an opinion about the change too, whatever that change might be: a new software roll-out, a merger, or a full-scale rebrand. Naturally, some of their ideas might be unfeasible, budget-blowing, or totally lacking in commercial viability, and you can politely discount them. But at least do them the service of listening to those ideas in the first place. And, if you can put aside any sense of ego and start that two-way communication process, you’ll probably find some extremely valid suggestions come from staff, as well as concerns and questions you’ll need to be aware of (and resolve) in order to successfully roll out the change.

Break out of the silo

Nearly half of employees already feel their contributions are consistently ignored, according to the 2025 Workplace Perception Survey. And you know what? They’re probably right. Because, all too often, we see one person or a very small number of managers making all the decisions and then simply telling everyone else what the plan is – with no opportunity for engagement, input or an alteration of the already-agreed project.

Rather than treating staff as the people able to make the change successful, they’re sometimes being treated like the audience at a one-man show. And then their bosses wonder why they’re not clapping enthusiastically.

By stepping outside of the boardroom and engaging people early, resistance lowers, insights surface, and the criticism shared in private messages (the 21^st century equivalent of a gossip about your boss at the coffee machine) lessen considerably.

We know that prioritising two-way communication and engagement enables you to experience the benefit of the hive mind, cherry picking the best ideas from your team which come from a result of each of their unique skills, knowledge and experiences. Not only that, but you also start to break down the levels of resistance humans naturally show whenever there is change afoot.

If staff understand the ins and outs of the project, rather than being told at the very last minute once all of the decisions have been made, they’re much more likely to be open to hearing how the change will benefit them, and begin working on their element of the project implementation – rather than immediately looking to oppose the project simply because the staff engagement has been so poor. Plus, they (and you) get the wellbeing benefits which come from feeling properly communicated with and listened to at work – which in turn prompts increased motivation, productivity (a boost of up to 21% according to Gallup) and loyalty to the business.

Staff > systems

Here’s the thing: you can install the fanciest tech and buy into all the methodologies and shiny frameworks, but if your people hate it, the whole thing will collapse. Not because the system was bad, but because your people weren’t told until the day before it happened and are now so angered by the lack of engagement that you’ve got no hope of persuading them how brilliant the plan is.

Listen. Communicate. Show you care. You won’t make everyone happy, but at least you won’t be the leader hiding in their office, congratulating themselves on how visionary they are, while the rest of the company quietly Googles ‘jobs with no change management ever again’.

Because while the phrase ‘your people are your best asset’ might be an often-quoted trope, it’s an absolute truth. One of the only truths that applies in every business, ever. So, ignore them, and you might as well wave goodbye to your chances of change management so success.

‍

‍

Mark Green – Founder & CEO, Change Rebellion

Mark Green is the founder and CEO of Change Rebellion, a UK-based consultancy that challenges traditional approaches to organisational transformation. With over two decades of experience leading change initiatives across various sectors, including technology, renewables and medicine, Mark has become a trusted name in change management.

In 2023, after recovering from a serious illness, Mark launched Change Rebellion to simplify and humanise the change process. Under his leadership, the company has achieved significant growth, delivering impactful transformation strategies for clients in the energy and utilities sectors. Change Rebellion's innovative models, such as the Hero Model and the Change Evolution Engine, focus on embedding change through people-first strategies.

‍