It has been said that three things are inevitable – death, taxes, and change.
Like it or not, things change. People change. The economic environment evolves. So does the market and their preferences.
Though change is inevitable, people usually resist change. People react to change with some degree of apprehension and sense of insecurity. We are set in our habits. We are settled in our comfort zones. Anything that will require us to change our paradigms and our ways of doing things sound off some warning signals ino ur minds.
In an organization, any change will require clear and repeated communication to explain why change is necessary. Leaders should, moreover, not expect employees to adjust to the change overnight or readily. It will take time of acclimitization and getting used to.
The Executive Director Series (published by the Pearl 2 project) lists down things to keep n mind when managing change:
- Identify the problem clearly which requires a change.
- Communicate the problem and explain why a change is necessary.
- Communicate how change will create a better future.
- Get employees involved from the beginning, before the change is implemented, to get their feedback and input on possible solutions.
- Get the employees’ involvement in devising a plan to implement necessary changes.
- Talk to all affected employees – the larger the change, the more communication that is needed, preferably face-to-face
- Do not rely on e-mails and memos to adequately communicate necessary changes.
- Recognize, acknowledge and praise employees for their contributions and their commitment to the implemented changes;
- Give change time to stabilize. You may not see results immediately, but with time and the consistent attention on the change, the results will come. The worst possible thing to do would be to implement a change, not see immediate results, and then change to process again. Changes takes time to take effect and produce results.
Photo: “Change is Inevitable” by , c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved