There is a basic challenge to both initiators of service redesign and employees: how to develop a mutually respectful role when the initiative will inevitably be very disruptive for employees. It is natural for initiators to view employees as a problem, since the current employee structure stands between their idea and its realisation; and there is a natural tendency for employees and their representatives, concerned with their jobs and the impacts of change, to react defensively.
It is essential, therefore, to introduce processes though which employees, employee representatives and employers can learn about each other's concerns and views, and about potential opportunities within the partnership framework. Employees who take a simple oppositional position face public anger when they are perceived as a privileged status quo interest group. Employers who push ahead regardless of legitimate employee concerns face the same problem. It is imperative for both parties to spend some time exploring and defining options to address their respective concerns.