Full disclosure regarding the potential downside of what lies ahead exposes everyone to the truth about the difficulties they’re about to face. More importantly, it triggers the search for new tools and new ways to make change happen. Lastly, it generates critical questions like:

• Are we missing something?
• What current resources are available?
• Whose help are we going to need?
• Who else needs to be involved?

Once these questions are answered people will offer suggestions for how to get it done better, cheaper, faster in the future.

You’ll know when people are ready to change because their focus shifts from the past to the present with a view toward their future. They’ll start posing task-based questions such as:

• How is what I’m doing next different from what I did before?
• How much time do I have to figure out my new job?
• What will happen if I don’t get it right?
• If I have questions, who do I go to for answers?

These questions must be truthfully addressed before people will be ready to move forward. If answers aren’t forthcoming, they won’t risk aligning themselves with a potential failure.

Once there is acceptance and understanding all you have to do is keep those within your sphere of influence informed as deviations occur and praise them when they make the necessary adjustments.