Change isn’t easy but it’s inevitable. It can be upsetting and unwanted, but is sometimes necessary.
According to Gartner, the average business has faced five major company-wide changes in the past three years. Plus, about 75% of them will pursue more change initiatives in the next three years.
Why do they do it? To be more efficient and profitable.
The problem: if you don’t manage such changes properly, they can hurt your business. Gartner also revealed that:
- Half of these change initiatives fail.
- Only 34% are a clear success.
- Around 16% led to mixed results.
Of course, any entrepreneur wouldn’t want to be part of the failed half – or experience mixed results. When you make improvements to your company, you’d want to succeed.
Here are a few ways you can better manage change in your business.
Focus on clear communication
Communication is a key part of managing changes in your business. Your employees need to know any pertinent changes because they handle your orders and deal with customers. Knowing any such changes directly affects how your company functions.
You need to be proactive and careful when sharing information with employees. It’s how you’ll achieve positive results – and avoid issues – during and after major disruptions.
Because of this, it’s important to give your people regular updates. If your company has an intranet or is signed up for tools like Slack, use them to disseminate news. Otherwise, email can be just as effective.
Take note that communication has to be two-way. You should also:
- Ask your employees what they think; and
- Encourage them to approach you whenever they have questions or concerns.
Doing so will help develop trust in your organisation. Plus, their feedback will help you fine-tune your efforts to implement change.
Start with executive buy-in
If you want to introduce change, you should first sell your idea to your executives. Why? Because your employees will see if the company’s leadership isn’t in agreement. And when this happens, it’ll be difficult to achieve buy-in at all levels.
But it’s easier said than done. You’ll have to:
- Come to an agreement with your executives on your company’s current situation.
- Determine your obstacles to success.
- Develop a compelling picture of your company’s goals. This is crucial in creating a strong belief that would drive you forward.
An aligned leadership team gets rid of any ambiguity, disagreement, and other distractions.
Ready your managers
To maximise your efforts in introducing change, you need to prepare your managers for it as well. Your managers – particularly the mid-level ones – are integral to:
- Helping senior executives deal with change.
- Keeping employees productive and motivated.
- Developing employees’ skills necessary for implementing changes.
For best results, make sure that your managers have the necessary knowledge and tools to understand the business, specifically what changes need to be put in place. Moreover, they need to know how their own teams can affect the company’s overarching goals.
Look to your organisational culture
Whether you’re implementing something for the better or managing a complex issue, change is never easy. To help your people deal with the uncertainty that change brings, have them focus on your company’s culture – especially the aspects that they like.
Here’s an example: Let’s say your team has a pet-friendly environment. You can maintain that practice even during a pandemic by setting up a Slack channel or Skype chat dedicated to pets.
Cultivate a sense of belonging as well. You can do this by sharing how you’re adapting to an ongoing change and expect others to follow. If others talk about how they’re able to adjust, add to the conversation.
Your company culture will serve as an anchor through periods of disruption so make the most of it.
Embrace resistance
Don’t expect 100% agreement when change is proposed or occurs. You’ll certainly face resistance, and this is normal. In fact, you should welcome it.
Here’s why: By allowing your people to voice their concerns, you help defuse the situation. This also minimises the resistance in channels you have no influence over.
So tell your employees that it’s fine to struggle with change. Better yet, create avenues where employees can:
- Object to the changes.
- Talk about how they can resolve issues surrounding the change.
Being open to your employees’ concerns will enable you to design better plans for implementing effective change. What’s important is that your people shouldn’t dwell on it. Specify a reasonable deadline.
Monitor your success
How would you know if your efforts to implement change is successful? This comes with a few requirements.
- The change should be quantifiable. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know.
- Establish the metrics involved.
- Keep track of how you’re doing.
When you start monitoring your success, regularly report your progress. If employees see how the company is doing and understand that their contributions help towards reaching the desired goals, they’ll be inspired to press on.
Find the right employees
To facilitate change in your organisation, you need to hire the right people. Remote Workmate can help. Unlike freelancing marketplaces where you do everything yourself, we handle the heavy lifting for you, including recruitment, onboarding, payroll, and more.
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