Managing Change

When it comes to change there aren’t too many people out there who embrace it. People by nature are reluctant to change, and usually only do so when forced by dramatic circumstances. So, heres the challenge – How do you promote and manage change within an organisation? And how do you do it while keeping the peace, maintaining productivity, and not getting an ulcer?

But before we get into the solution, we need to look at why change is so difficult to deal with. It’s important to understand that change is inevitable in business. You will undoubtedly need to do at least one of the following at some point – upgrade your software, move premises, enter new markets, restructure your workforce, or simply change the way work is done. When you ask an employee to change the way they work, to actually change what they do on a day to day basis – they will resist. They resist because you are asking them to move out of their comfort zone – to enter the unknown. Their fears are real – What if I fail? Will I be let go? How will I cope? What if it takes longer for me to learn than others? It can be a major problem – I have seen long term, loyal employees, actually face reprimand or dismissal by flat out refusing to change, or even worse, sabotaging the change process.

It’s not all bad news, change can be managed successfully. It takes careful planning and execution. But most importantly, it requires the right approach – the right frame of mind on the part of the business owner. You need to take a collaborative approach, and promote open communication. People need to feel as though they have ‘ownership’ of the change process. They need to contribute to it, they need to understand it. That is of course why you as the business owner are quite comfortable with change - you prompted it.

So, how can you provide employees with ‘ownership’ over the process, while ensuring the process takes the right direction? The process of change is pretty simple to describe; identify the need, develop a solution, plan the implementation, and execute the plan. The key is to involve people in each step of the process while maintaining control. You need to lead people into coming up with the solutions you already know you want. I know, it sounds like mind games – but sometimes you just have to do what it takes. Have a meeting with staff to talk about the problems the group as a whole is faced with – identify the need. Run brainstorming sessions with staff for ideas to over come the problems faced – develop a solution. Now, as a group come up with basic steps required to implement the solution, allocate key tasks to individuals who contributed to identifying those tasks – plan the implementation.

Can you see what you have? – A plan to implement the changes you want. But here’s the best bit – your staff contributed substantially to it. How can people resist something they contributed to developing? If this process is done properly, employees will be empowered to do their very best to achieve the desired results - this leads us to execution of the plan. The most important point here is – do not deviate from the plan without first consulting employees and repeating the steps of change outlined above. Hold regular meetings during implementation to discuss progress, and always ask for feedback. You’ll without doubt get the results you’re looking for.