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 challenging to handle, and difficult to lead employees through.
Here’s an instance of the impact of even a small change in the work environment. As a Philadelphia Telesales advisor, I worked with a small business that had a typical call center environment: workers answered calls from clients. Each individual had their own cubical, computer, and desk space. It was a positive time for the business, their company was growing and their workers were happy. Due to the organization's need for more consumer service representatives, they employed and trained more employees. The problem 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 clear 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 customer service representatives on Friday that they would need to create space 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. People could no longer show as a lot of personal items in their cubicles, they had less drawer room, and there were some personality conflicts among cube-mates. The tiny issues grew to larger morale problems.
The problem with this situation wasn’t the change that the company 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 understand a few things about how people react to change, and learn some tips for helping people through the change.
How do you as a director deal with change?
Which group do your employees fall into?
What makes them more comfortable with change?
Get to know the people you work with to better recognize 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 people feel challenged by change when they do not comprehend the reasons for the change, or the benefit 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 company’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 method to handle change is to be prepared for it. Create 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 ready 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 organization encounters continuous change, educate employees on strategies for dealing with change, and use humor to discuss changes. Introduce the subject of change in training classes with products that address change in the work environment.
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