中层经理如何化解下属对改革的抵触？

    有意思的是，正如你可能已经注意到的那样，这些事情大多都不是你所能控制的。“我同情那些缺乏上层支持、勉力推行重大改革的中层经理，”布朗说。你需要做的第一件事是找到这样的支持：“在上层寻找一位支持者，愿意倾听和给出建议，定期向此人汇报事情进展。”

    汇报应该“尽可能坦诚和完整，”布朗补充说。“不要等到遇到大问题了，直接扔下一颗炸弹。”他建议，如果可以的话，选择一位非直接老板作为支持者，因为“如果对话的人能决定你下一次升职加薪，谈起问题和阻碍时就不会那么坦诚。”

    你或许可以摆明有这样一位支持者，推动不情愿的下属接受新计划。“需要有一个更高层的人介入，解释改革原因，”布朗说。“如果人们看到最高管理层坚定推行这项策略，如果他们能理解是为什么，大多数人会转而支持改革。”

    如果他们不支持，又该怎么办？如果你摆明了为何需要改革，如果你已确保每个人有必要的资源配合改革，不妨和那些仍然不愿接受的人坐下来谈谈，布朗建议，“告诉他们，如果不能参与进来，可能就得走人。”

    布朗说，解雇员工是经理们必须要做的一个最艰难的决定之一，但你当前第一要务是要完成第一季度的“验收”，否则到时候被解雇的就是你和他们。“这很难，”他说。“但我见过太多公司，它们都是由于员工抵触，最终放弃了优秀的改革方案。“

    祝你好运。

    反馈：你是否说服过员工支持一项最初不得人心的战略计划？就你而言，哪些管用？哪些不管用？欢迎留言评论。

    Interesting, but as you've no doubt noticed, most of these things are beyond your control. "I really sympathize with anyone in the middle who's trying to execute a major change without the right support from above," says Brown. The first thing you need to do is seek out that support: "Find a champion upstairs who will listen and make suggestions, and give that person regular progress reports on how things are going."

    These should be "as candid and complete as possible as you go along," Brown adds. "Don't wait until you hit a major snag and then drop a bombshell." If you can, choose a champion who is not your direct boss, he suggests, because "it's tempting to be less than honest about problems and setbacks when you're talking to the person who determines your next raise."

    You might also enlist your champion's help in getting your reluctant subordinates to accept the new plan. "Someone more senior than you are needs to step in and explain the reasons for the changes," says Brown. "Most people will get on board if they see that top management is committed to the strategy, and if they understand why."

    What if they don't? Once you've made it clear why the change is needed, and made sure people have the resources necessary to do their part, sit down with anyone who is still dragging his or her feet, Brown advises, and "tell them that, if they can't participate in this process, they may need to move on."

    Firing people is one of the toughest things that managers have to do, but your first priority has to be reaching that first-quarter "goalpost" and sometimes, Brown notes, it comes down to your neck or theirs. "It's hard," he says. "But I've seen too many companies where resisters were allowed to kill good ideas."

    Good luck.

    Talkback: Have you ever had to persuade employees to go along with an unpopular strategy? What worked (or didn't) for you? Leave a comment below.