Change Management – How to help guide employees through multiple changes
When it comes to organisational changes, employers may need to guide their employees through any changes that are made that can affect their duties or their employment with the company. Change isn’t just a challenge for managers and supervisors, but for every employee within the company, as well – particularly if the organisational changes directly affect them in any way.
Change management is important, or you’ll find that employees will get easily stressed or confused about the new situation. If you’re a manager of any kind in the company (meaning that you look after and manage a group of employees), then you’ll need decent change management skills. Below are several suggestions that will help you step up your change management skills to benefit your company:
Involve your employees in the change process
No matter what changes your organisation is making, you should endeavour to inform your employees about any changes that will affect them as soon as possible. Any time managers implement organisational changes, there is always a lag between the time the change has been discussed at management level and the time the change is going to be implemented. Typically, by the time employees find out about the changes, the changes are already about to be made.
However, in this lag of time, rumours can quickly spread through the workplace grapevine, which can cause a degree of panic among workers that expect to be affected. The sooner you involve employees in the change process, the better off your company will be. Formal communication and good change management is all it takes to put all of your employees at ease.
Encourage your employees during the change
During your organisational changes, one of the best ways to help your employees cope with the changes that are being made is to encourage them to try gaining new skills and help them shift their mindset into something more positive. When you implement change management to encourage your employees and help them fit back into their duties and job role after the changes have been made, you’ll find that your employees are much more relaxed at work.
Help your employees to cope with the shift in your company by training them in the new duties that are required of them. Put together lessons, staff training sessions, and guides to encourage your employees to learn the new information they need to know.
Ask your employees to commit
Be clear in what you’re asking of your employees before you start asking them to commit to the new changes that you’ll be making. Once the change has been formally announced, it’s important that you ask for each employee’s commitment, so that the new changes can be successfully implemented. When you do this, it also gives you a chance to hear feedback from your employees, and really get to grips with how they feel about the changes that have been made. This can help you and the other managers within the company figure out how to ease your employees into the new changes.
Demonstrate your concern and show that you care
Great managers realise that they won’t be able to achieve their goals if their employees aren’t performing at their very best. In times of stress, employees will look to management for guidance. They will seek out their managers when they feel uncertain and isolated from decisions that are out of their control.
Be an example of transparency and honesty. Open the lines of communication between management and employees and talk openly and regularly about what you know and encourage input from your employees.
