Everyone reacts to change slightly differently and is likely to have their own opinion about the change – that's just human nature. However, it's how you handle reactions to and opinions about change that will impact the success of a change initiative.

People often find change exciting, and respond well to new challenges and new ways to do things. But sometimes they react negatively. When reactions to change are negative, opinions may come off as complaints or criticism. Successfully leading your employees through change involves managing their reactions and accepting their input in a way that builds support for the change initiative.

Build mutual understanding and support for change using open communication and active listening. As employees share their feelings and opinions, you can help them view the change in a positive way. Active listening will help you convey concern, interest, and respect, which in turn enhances open communication. However, listening to your employees isn't enough. You must be prepared to act on their input when appropriate. You need to demonstrate that you respect and value their suggestions, and determine whether they should be implemented.

A four-step listening technique can help you build support for change initiatives with your employees:

• Encourage open communication
  To learn how your employees feel about the change initiative, you must encourage open communication. Once you know how they feel, you can help them view the change more positively, which will help build support. Begin with a question inviting employees to share their feelings. Guidelines to help you encourage open communication include asking questions and being open, honest, positive, and sensitive. A few things to avoid when encouraging open communication include being judgmental or dismissive, or assuming you know how someone is feeling.
• Listen to your employees' feelings
  You can "listen" to your employees' feelings by restating the feelings they've expressed in your own words. This helps establish empathy. When restating your employee's feelings, follow some simple but effective guidelines – do continue to encourage open communication, and don't judge, make assumptions, or be dismissive. As you check for understanding, ask questions, demonstrate that you're listening by restating the concern expressed, invite input on how to resolve problems or address concerns, and take employees seriously. When checking for understanding, don't judge or make assumptions, prejudge how a situation can be resolved, become defensive, interrupt with a rebuttal, ignore criticism, be dismissive, or impose your own views.
• Check for understanding
  After employees tell you their opinions or feelings, you need to check for understanding. Summarizing and restating their input is an effective way to do this.
• Take employees' input on board
  You need to act on input by determining if it should be implemented. Some input will be relevant and some won't. Either way, you need to follow up with the individual and explain why any suggestion is or isn't being implemented. This demonstrates respect and shows employees that their input is taken seriously and valued. To respond appropriately to input from employees, you should be willing to act, investigate the input, wrap things up on a positive note, and thank the employee for the input. Ensure you don't do nothing or ignore the input. Always acting on input will encourage your employees to continue to share valuable insights with you.

As a leader, you need to support your employees during change. To do this while also building support for a change initiative, you need to understand what employees are feeling and thinking. You can use a four-step listening technique to help you accomplish this – encourage open communication, "listen" to your employees' feelings, check for understanding, and take their input on board.