Change is inevitable in today’s fast-paced business world. Whether it’s team restructuring, combining business functions, new systems and processes or changes faced by external factors that your organisation needs to be adapt to. However, for some people, change brings about anxiety which can often lead to low morale. This article offers helpful tips to help manage your employees’ reaction around organisational change.
Prioritise your people
People need the right to support to adapt to new situations quickly, and it’s the responsibility of team leaders and managers to make that happen. Establish regular check-ups with team members to understand what aspects of the organisational change they’re struggling with and try to provide them with the right tools and support.
Managers need to be fully engaged with the new changes; understanding the reasoning behind them, and be sympathetic to any technical or logistical problems that their teams may be facing as a result of the change.
Some of these problems may require new processes, additional technical support or even training and development to allow your employees to feel more supported.
Change is an opportunity.
Employees may not be able to see the reasoning behind the change in the same way that the business owners or managers do. The way in which you communicate any changes is key to how they well it is embraced by your people.
Being able to successfully manage change in the workplace involves explaining the “why” in a way that is empathetic. This understanding is particularly important when dealing with those that are resistant to change.
You should also highlight the fact that change encourages innovation, helps develop new skills and leads to a more successful overall business overall.
Factor in an adjustment period
Even some of the best-planned change projects don’t always go to plan. Employees will need an adjustment period for everyone to feel comfortable with the change. Additional training may be required to get them used to new systems or processes. In some cases, this may involve organisational structural changes to allow the transformation to occur seamlessly.
Establish KPIs
Set some Key Performance Indicators to allow you to evaluate how the change has been received. This will involve qualitative measurements such as employee and/or client feedback and being responsive to changes that need to be made in the process.
Keep your employees informed about any business improvements that have been met as a result of the change. This will help to improve staff morale and keep them motivated even if they are finding the change difficult to adapt to.
Changes in contracts
If you are making changes to your employees’ place of work, hours or level of flexibility, you may need to change employee contracts or information that’s included in your Employee Handbook.
If your organisation is about to embark on any organisational change, we can help make it easier for your people, allowing them to adapt quickly and ensure that every aspect is managed effectively.
