101: Adapting to organizational changes in the workplace
Change is inevitable. Whether in life or in the workplace, transformations are bound to happen. How managers lead and communicate change will define the success of the new operations and how employees respond. Understanding the process of change, establishing a clear plan of action, and engaging employees are ways managers can lead into the next chapter of growth.
Understand the process of change. Change does not happen overnight, especially when an entire business needs to pivot. According to Harvard Business School Online, the three steps of change are preparation, implementation, and follow-through. The preparation includes seeing change not just from the big picture organizational side, but the impact it will have from the top down. Once a thorough plan has been made, managers need to start implementing executive changes to get the job done. Finally, once the change has been made, it is up to leadership to follow through and ensure that the new action sticks and becomes part of the company structure.
Establish a clear plan of action. Vision is great to create the ideas that will lead a company into the future, but action is needed to turn those theoretical plans into reality. David Grossman from The Grossman Group emphasizes the importance of the entire team having clear goals and objectives. “Everyone in the organization must understand the vision for the future and how their work helps achieve it. A clear vision statement and a high-level roadmap of key steps needed to attain the vision give leaders what they need to explain the path forward and outline what actions employees can take to advance the change,” he writes.
Engage employees in transparent communication. For long-term change to work, it must be understood by the employees implementing it. Include employees’ input whenever possible. This will not only help streamline work, but also might help others accept whatever change will come. Use surveys and all staff meetings to gather ideas and lessen workplace anxiety, Kim Hazen, chief people officer at Fulcrum Therapeutics, writes in Forbes. “Where you can, bring your employees along on the journey by making them part of the solution. Let them be a part of the change instead of letting the change happen to them,” she writes.
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