One thing is certain in life, and that is things will change. Many people find change unsettling, and this is particularly true in the workplace.
However, if your business is to continue to grow, it must constantly evolve. So how do you manage to encourage your employees to embrace change?
The first thing to do is to ensure your staff is part of the process of change. They need to understand what is happening and why. Further, seeing change as being positive is a message which needs to be communicated from the top down. If employees see their leaders embracing change, they will be more likely to view it positively.
There are a number of other simple steps that will assist your organisation to introduce change expediently and positively, these are:
- Tell your employees why your organisation needs to make changes. Make this a positive reason.
- Sever your employees’ connection with the old way of doing things. Tell you employees that continuing with the old way of doing things is hindering the growth of the Company.
- Assist you employees to make the transition from the old to the new.
- Reinforce the new way of doing things.
- Keep your employees updated about your plans. Providing information on a need to know basis is not helpful. Whenever possible, communicate face to face. Ensure your messages are consistent. Check what others in the organisation are saying, you should all be saying the same thing.
Change is here to stay. Businesses that do not embrace change are unlikely to remain in years to come. It is a valuable skill to know how to implement change, and be able to engage your employees to embrace the change in a positive way.
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This article is intended as a point of reference and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Specialist advice should always be sought in relation to any particular circumstances and no liability will be accepted for any losses incurred by those relying solely on this article.