Change is inevitable. As time
moves ever forward, change is woven into its fabric.
It can be small and incremental
or it can be large and disruptive. How one deals with change defines whether
the experience is positive or negative and varies by degree. Change, from a
business perspective, can accelerate an organization’s growth, produce a surge
in productivity or it can bring an organization to a screeching halt. The keys
to positive change can be found in a well-designed company culture.
Preparation
While we may ‘know’ that change
is inevitable, change takes humans out of the comfort of the familiar. The
nature of change is a different pathway. Prepare your organization to accept
change as a natural part of its evolutionary process. This should become a
belief within the company – to see change as both welcome and necessary for
growth and success.
Develop a process through which
change is an activity like paying bills, selling or marketing your brand. Administer
regular strategy sessions with the leadership of your organization to identify
how and when change fits into the overall vision of company success.
Communication
Any change that occurs should be
in alignment with the strategic planning of any business. Through this
alignment, all communication will have a proper context. Employees will need to
understand the reason for the change, how it aligns with the strategy, their
part in the activities related to the change and how they will be measured
before, throughout and after the change process.
Involve people throughout the
organization to review the need for change and various options for change.
Create a team (or teams) from different departments to drive the process from
inception through implementation.
Define and create the necessary
training to provide employees with the tools to be successful at implementing
the change.
Accountability
By setting clear and proper
expectations for key stakeholders, the success of the change can be measured
and redirected as needed. To achieve the desired ‘buy in’ for the changes, each
affected employee must know what is expected of them and how their success will
be measured. Create a simple dashboard or tool to clearly see the impact of
each area (individual, team, company) on the defined change success goals.
Feedback
Through measurement of the
expectations at the individual, team, department and organizational, the change
can be managed properly. Share the results on regular intervals (weekly,
monthly, quarterly - depending on the
size of the change and the affected business areas). This will allow the area
employees and managers to see where activity is effective and where
improvements must be addressed.
Provide recognition for success
to foster goodwill and celebrate the accomplishment of the change. Be sincere
with praise and communicate how these success metrics drive towards the vision
of the company.
Change is inevitable. Be in a
position to make that change a positive and successful endeavor.