Navigating Change: Building Alignment & Acceptance in Your Organization

Change manifests in various forms—new policies, organizational rebranding or the launch of a new business line. Often, we create a vision for change and rush into execution, focusing on developing processes and success metrics. However, we may overlook a critical component of effective change management: building alignment at all levels—upward with senior leaders, downward with direct reports and laterally among peers.

Alignment involves securing buy-in for change from everyone involved, addressing both task-related and emotional perspectives. Here’s how to prioritize the people in your organization during times of change and ideally move even the most resistant individuals toward acceptance more swiftly.

How To Foster Acceptance During Change
So how can we secure acceptance during change—or accelerate it? A key strategy lies in recognizing that different individuals have distinct needs and coping mechanisms, even in similar situations.

One effective approach is to understand your team members’ natural tendencies. Many organizations utilize personality assessments like the Everything DiSC (I am an authorized partner of Everything DiSC, a Wiley Brand) or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to gain insights into individual preferences and behaviors. Think of this as a form of “people-reading” that helps you better understand how different personalities respond to change.

Based on my expertise with the Everything DiSC assessment and my experiences as a manager, here’s how various personality styles may react to change and how to best support them in navigating transitions.

People Style 1: Assertive, Direct And Firm (DiSC D Style)
Individuals with this style are typically direct and assertive. They value candor but may approach change with skepticism, often prioritizing results over details. Their primary fear may be losing control—whether that means losing their authority or status or being taken advantage of.

How to support them during change:

• Grant them freedom and authority.

• Reinforce their status within the organization.

• Provide opportunities for them to voice their opinions.

• Establish a channel for expressing grievances.

• Honor their need for autonomy.

For instance, in a previous role, our organization decided to eliminate a program that no longer aligned with business needs. We engaged assertive team members by presenting the facts upfront—explaining the financial losses and the competitive landscape. By addressing their concerns about any staffing changes and focusing on the positive impact of this decision, we found common ground, with many expressing surprise that we had maintained the program for as long as we did.

Read more about strategies for all four people styles my latest Forbes article.