Now more than ever, organizations of all sizes are in a constant state of change. Factors such as growth, economic cycles, new technologies and shifts in the competitive landscape or generational workforce will continue to initiate change.
As you develop plans in response to those factors, it is equally as important to consider how you will implement the ideas into the organization. It is up to management to drive the necessary improvements and make them more appealing for staff members to accept. By following these tips, you’ll be in a better position to facilitate change and improve your company.
Share your vision, Before implementing any changes, you should develop a pitch that will provide urgency and excitement to the employees. It should clearly articulate what the change is, why it’s necessary and the positive outcomes that will come from it. By giving employees this information right away, it’ll help to alleviate some of the apprehension that they may feel.
During the initial discussion, you should also make sure to identify how the change is connected with the overall your business objectives. This is one way to create the sense of urgency that is needed from employees at all levels of the organization. When you provide big picture ideas along with tangible ways that the change will affect their job duties, getting buy-in and engagement will be much easier.
Even though most change is mandatory, you want to create an environment where employee want to do these things instead of being forced to do them.
Prioritize transparency. Change doesn’t happen overnight; it is a process that could take months to fully complete. For that reason, continuous communication is essential to addressing any underlying concerns that may come up throughout the process. As mentioned in the previous section, by being open and transparent about the change you will have a greater acceptance from your employees.
It is impossible to over-communicate when it comes to organizational changes. You should use multiple channels (face-to-face meetings, email, company intranet, etc.) to discuss and reinforce the progress being made.
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Ask for feedback. An excellent way to demonstrate transparency is by asking for and responding to feedback. It’s critical to show workers that their feelings and ideas are being listened to and accepted when expressed.
You should find at least one way to incorporate a formal process to get feedback. An easy, anonymous method is to have a suggestion box in an area where employees visit. This will give employees peace of mind that they won’t face any negative repercussions for their honesty.
Another option is to develop a committee made up of employees that includes each department or team in the company. This way every department can discuss their ideas with each other before bringing it to the next level of the organization. When choosing an employee to represent each department, you should select those that are respected throughout the company.
A streamlined approach makes it easier for employees to communicate and for you to collect the information they provide.
You can’t control how people will react to change. There will be some that show adaptability while others will cling to old habits. Regardless of their initial feelings, if you share the company’s vision, communicate constantly and provide opportunities for feedback, it’ll benefit everyone involved.
