For entrepreneurs to succeed, they need to be good at change. Only the entrepreneur who understands client needs, adapts and delivers on promises has a check to deposit. When starting out, adapting can be relatively easy (it's a matter of survival). You might be a sole proprietor (so you're the only one who has to change) or have a small office of five people. However, as a company grows, hires more employees and has more customers to serve, adapting to change can be a bit more difficult.

Whether you are a company of five or 5,000, there are well-researched principles to keep in mind to help employees adapt to a changing workplace. Successful change is about leaders. It's about addressing resistance and communicating. It's about involvement and sustaining the change.

A leader's actions speak louder than words. Employees take cues from their boss. If leaders are passionate and committed to the change, employees notice. Conversely, if leaders complain or are negative about upcoming changes, employees notice that, too. Leaders must explain why the company is changing and where it's heading. Leaders need to frame the change in a way that helps people understand why the status quo is no longer good enough. And it's not just about communicating. Leaders must realize that changing a process, a technology or a product line takes resources. Leaders have to do more than talk about the change; they have to show their support by providing needed resources and time.

When organizations are changing, resistance is inevitable and can actually be useful. Resistance is the way employees express discomfort and uncertainty about a new situation. Resisting can even be a tactic for gaining a sense of control. Challenging the proposed change and asking tough questions helps employees understand. Also, resistance, if it is out in the open, usually provides some needed information. People sometimes have good reasons to resist. The project leadership can't know everything. Letting people explain why something may be difficult to implement provides an opportunity to learn and then address those challenges. If resistance isn't expressed, issues pop up later, when they're much harder to address and can stop a project in its tracks. Sometimes, the project never recovers. Think of resistance as an opportunity to learn. After listening, leaders can make a judgment call as to whether the issue is critical.

Communicating during change is different than the approach for a company that is maintaining the status quo. When employees hear about an upcoming merger, divestiture or initiative, they wonder how it will affect them personally. In the early stages of a change, leaders have more questions than answers. The key to communicating during this time is to have a plan to keep communication lines open during the transition. Tell employees what you know, what you don't know and when they can expect to hear more. Developing, sharing and repeating key messages about the change are ways to drive consistent, relevant and motivating messages to all employees.

Over time, this approach helps ease some of the anxiety caused by transitions. Ensuring that there are opportunities for two-way communication is also important. Give employees the opportunity to react to news and ask for clarification. Respond to their needs so they know that you're committed to listening to them along the way.

Including employees where possible is another way to help them cope with change. People naturally support what they help create. Not only does it tap employees' varied work experiences, it creates ownership for the future state, whether it's new processes, structure or technology. Involvement creates understanding and builds commitment to change. Start with a stakeholder list to understand which groups may be affected in some way by the initiative. Think about what functions, positions or experience levels could help. Write a general role description explaining how they will interact with the team and the time commitment involved. It could just be a couple of hours a week on average.

Finally, sustaining change takes support and reinforcement. Organizations where changes stick make sure that they are hiring, training, developing, measuring, rewarding and communicating with people in ways that are consistent with the new paradigm rather than the old practices.

The ability to lead people during change is a necessity in today's competitive environment. Driving change in organizations takes work. A proactive strategy of aligned, committed leaders, communication, involvement and reinforcement works. Although it takes time to make the future vision a reality, you'll get there with this proactive approach.

Stacy Aaron is a Partner at Change Guides LLC. She is also the author of two books on organizational change: The Change Management Pocket Guide and The Eight Constants of Change. She can be reached at stacy.aaron@changeguidesllc.com.