Tackling Change Fatigue - Alchemmy’s Ian Ashenden examines Change Fatigue across Law Enforcement
“The only consistent thing in this place is constant change!”
I remember being sat in a briefing with an enthusiastic Project Manager, a less enthusiastic Senior Officer, and my team being “consulted” on the latest priority project and kit being rolled out across the Force. It was being heralded as transformational, revolutionising how we worked and the services we provided. I clearly recall thinking the idea seemed sound and the need to improve was compelling. However, the audience of experienced, hardworking, and professional law enforcement colleagues in the room were utterly underwhelmed and disengaged from the whole thing! Everyone left and cracked-on with their busy day jobs.
Sadly, nothing really changed, and the kit was never properly used. Over the next few months, the project withered and was quietly superseded by the next ‘priority project’. As we left the briefing, a seasoned Officer turned to me and muttered the words above with a resigned look on her face.
This top-down approach to Change Management was repeated time and time again during my service. Frustratingly, often the changes failed to land with the Frontline and service-users, and the benefits envisaged in Business Cases and Board meetings were never fully realised. Astonishingly, it is estimated up to 70-85% of large change programmes and data projects fail to deliver their goals and business outcomes.
Understanding Change Fatigue
Looking back, the common factors were always colleagues suffering with extreme workplace Change Fatigue, and project teams, project sponsors and Senior Officers failing to get adequate buy-in during implementation. A recent report suggested over half (54%) of those surveyed stated they were suffering from Change Fatigue, referring to the exhaustion and resistance individuals and organisations feel when subjected to a relentless stream of workplace changes. In the context of UK law enforcement, it manifests as a sense of weariness amongst Officers, making it challenging to maintain high levels of performance, morale, and ultimately public safety.
Across UK law enforcement, there is an inherent need to be agile and adaptable in response to the continuously shifting internal and external environments. Budgets, legislation, public expectations, new technologies and our politicians all routinely change and shift. At a tactical level, Officers respond to unforeseen emergency situations daily, and often demonstrate great resourcefulness and adaptability in their responses. However, at an organisational level, change seems to be less well received due to the “exhaustion and resistance” referenced above.
Simple Strategies to tackle Change Fatigue
So how do we implement organisational change effectively within law enforcement? I always start with People. Culture is an essential cornerstone to creating a progressive and successful organisation. Adopting a People-Centric, Growth mindset is vital, with a strong culture of continuous improvement and empowered teams.
Understanding your team’s readiness for change is a critical step at the start of any transformation project, where investing time listening and understanding what has transpired before is priceless. Organisational learning is often overlooked in the workplace, where similar mistakes around project implementation and delivery are often repeated. However, understanding it can help explain prevailing views, the loss of trust and cynicism in teams, which will make a huge difference around Frontline adoption rates. An organisational cultural assessment is always a good use of time and resources, for example by immersing yourself in the team, examining the end-user’s technology and data appetites, and an organisation’s willingness to fail and learn without blame.
Closely linked to people are Communication and Education. Leaders and project teams need to communicate the rationale behind changes, setting out both the benefits and the expected impacts upon Officers in a straightforward, credible, and relatable manner. Frontline Officers need to be naturally sceptical for the day job, and this same lens is often applied to new projects from HQ. Transparency and effective communication are key and can alleviate rumour, resentment and resistance and fill the “information void” often created by transformation projects.
A further key strategy to support effective Change Management and overcoming Change Fatigue within law enforcement is Knowledge and Training. This equips Officers with the necessary skills, confidence, resilience, and tenacity to navigate a changing environment and uncertainty. Often new initiatives help flush out deeper, underlying issues within individuals and teams, as people are placed under increased pressure and stresses during the well documented Change Journey.
Finally, involving the Frontline at every stage of the transformation project, from helping to frame the problems, to designing processes & solutions and creating the implementation approach. Their involvement and insights provide immense value into the practical implications and start to address future implementation issues. Using a network of Change Champions is a useful strategy to improve two-way communication, encourage meaningful feedback and support the continuous evaluation and assessment of progress. They help create a healthy environment for issues and concerns to be expressed and promote a collective problem-solving response.
Heather Cover-Kus
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Ellie Huckle
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
Annie Collings
Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
Austin Earl
Austin joined techUK’s Central Government team in March 2024 to launch a workstream within Education and EdTech.
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
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