Even though we are continuously bombarded with change, and change is an inevitable part of today’s dynamic and fast paced work environment, it can be difficult to handle, and difficult to lead employees through.
Here’s an example of the influence of even a small change in the work environment. As a Philadelphia Telemarketing consultant, I worked with a small business that had a usual call center environment: employees answered calls from customers. Each individual had their own cubical, computer, and desk space. It was a optimistic time for the company, their firm was increasing and their workers were happy. Due to the company’s need for more client service representatives, they hired and trained more workers. The difficulty that emerged was a lack of space in the current call center, and relocating was not yet part of the plan. After some discussion, it became apparent the only economical answer at the time was for new employees to share their cubicles with people who worked on other shifts.
The management team came up with a seating chart and supervisors informed the client service representatives on Friday that they would need to make room in their cubicles for the new employees who would start on Monday.
There were small issues and large issues that resulted from this change. Workers had trouble adjusting to the new space requirements at their desk. Employees could no longer exhibit as many personal items in their cubicles, they had less drawer space, and there were a number of personality conflicts among cube-mates. The small issues grew to larger morale problems.
The problem with this situation wasn’t the change that the business went through; it was how the change was managed, or rather how it was not handled. Change management is a structured approach to transitioning employees through a essential improvement, addition, or alteration to what currently is. Managing change well helps maintain high employee morale and productivity. To manage change within a firm, it is imperative to recognize a few things about how people react to change, and learn some tips for helping people through the change.
How do you as a manager deal with change?
Which group do your workers fall into?
What makes them more comfortable with change?
Get to know the people you work with to better comprehend how they deal with change. Look for signs of concern when presented with change. If you can recognize an employee’s position on change, you can help them through it with a few simple measures.
Often employees feel challenged by change when they do not comprehend the reasons for the change, or the advantage of the change. Some workers need more communication, more information, to accept change. Many staff members want to know how the change will benefit them, their team, or the company. Linking the change to the organization's big picture may gain the employee’s acceptance and enthusiasm to adapt.
Change management is about understanding people, but it is also about planning and execution. The best way to handle change is to be prepared for it. Make a plan for the transition. Include the steps and strategies you will use to communicate the change. When possible include workers ahead of time, by asking for their opinions and ideas regarding the change. Be prepared to lead employees through the change. Also, identify how you will measure the success of your change management when the transition is complete.
My final suggestion: make change a well-discussed topic in your business environment. If your business encounters constant change, educate employees on techniques for dealing with change, and use humor to discuss changes. Introduce the topic of change in training classes with products that address change in the work environment.
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