Managing people through change

Your team members have close knowledge of your systems and processes and may have valuable suggestions. Ask their input:

• about decisions that affect them
• where you can take their opinions into account.

It's a good idea to:

• involve them early in the change management process
• establish clear points for discussion and input
• set realistic expectations about where they can provide input
• use a formal consultation process. Schedule a series of conversations to get their input on specific aspects of the change.

Engaging employees in the change management process will help to reduce their level of stress and resistance toward change activities.

Employees will be much more likely to support the change process if they're clear on how the process will work and about how they'll benefit from it. Develop a set of key messages to help your employees understand the:

• need for change
• process
• benefits.

You could, for example, communicate these messages through:

• change-planning sessions
• morning-tea information sessions
• a regular newsletter with updates on the change process
• a wall chart that explains stages and milestones.

Your leadership team will play an important role in how your employees react to change processes. It's important that they're able to effectively communicate the change management process.

Leadership participation and support at all levels can:

• keep your employees informed
• identify problems and concerns
• address these issues and talk through concerns with affected employees.

In change situations, your team members may want certainty more than they want to be directly involved. Avoid secrets or surprises wherever possible. Be specific, open and honest about your decisions and what influenced them.

If you can't implement your employees' suggestions:

• let them know
• tell them why
• give them as much clear and accurate information you can.

Once you know what the impact of the change will be and who will be affected:

• schedule regular discussions with these employees
• consistently follow up to see how they are dealing with the change.

Remember that your employees may place a lot of value on their role in your business. Their jobs may contribute greatly to their:

• financial security
• identity and sense of purpose
• self-confidence.

Changes that affect their role may have big professional, personal and emotional impacts. If the change is significant, they may have to work through a sense of loss.

There are many things you can do to make the change process easier.

Gather a team of employees who can help you identify staff attitudes and concerns.

Select people who:

• together have good knowledge of your business across all sections
• have a broad range of skills
• are good communicators and well respected by their colleagues
• support the change.

Break down the stages of the change management process into smaller steps that are easy for employees to follow and understand.

Following the process and knowing which stage of the process they are in, will help employees feel more engaged, confident and secure.

Ask your management team, team leaders and project team to identify any attitudes that could negatively affect the change management process. If you identify employees who have negative feelings about the change process:

• decide on a constructive, solution-focused approach
• meet with them directly and work through their concerns.

Investing time and resources in your employees before and during a change management process will help to ensure a more successful outcome. Change training can help:

• your employees understand the change processes
• leaders and managers understand their role in the change process
• identify challenges
• develop strategies.

You can:

• build a work environment that values continuous learning and improvement
• arrange training and information sessions
• use mentors and coaches to work with your employees to help them adapt to the change.

Understanding the reason for the change will help you and your employees stay focused on what needs to be done. You can:

• regularly repeat your 'reason for change' messages
• link these messages to each stage of the change management process.

Change often means someone is losing something. Through the change process, your employees may lose:

• familiar processes, workplaces and premises
• long-standing supplier or customer relationships
• elements of their role that give them confidence and security.

Remember that change affects everybody differently. People react differently to change, and some employees might take longer to accept the change.

You can help your employees adapt by:

• assessing the impacts of change early, so you can be prepared and respond effectively
• providing opportunities for them to share their feelings about the change
• scheduling one-on-one meetings for them with the most appropriate members of your management team
• making counselling available to help employees work through their emotional response.

You can build a positive environment for change by:

• always looking for ways to improve your business processes and performance
• inviting your employees to share their ideas and observations for improvement
• organising ways to capture and recognise employee input
• celebrating your shared successes.

This can help your employees recognise change as a positive force that is essential for continuous improvement.

It is important that you, as a leader:

• consider and understand how change affects your employees and how they may react to change
• use your messaging and communication to try to align your employees with the change
• are confident about the change process
• stay consistent about your reasons for change and in your key messages about the change process
• stay true to your goals and communicate them with confidence.

Celebrate successes and milestones in the change management process. You could, for example, organise morning tea or a lunch event to:

• thank your employees for their input
• review achievements to date
• discuss the next steps.