Saturday, September 7, 2019

Change and Your People

As my organization is going through many big changes right now, I thought it would be a good time to write a bit about this.

Usually leaders and managers know and understand the changes much better than the people on the floor or in the office.  This means your employees may overhear conversations, not understand them and become worried, frustrated or scared for their job security.  Maybe you are talking budget cuts and you know it won't affect them, but do they?

Ensuring your employees are in the know as much as they need to be is important.  They don't have to know everything, but give them enough information so they are not fearful.  Remember, if your company is not doing well or undergoing major changes, this can demotivate employees and actually make things worse.  Being more open about why changes are coming, what they are and how they may affect people is important.

Management teams do sometimes forget the biggest human element in change management - emotions.  We all have emotions and will go through them whether it be: shock, frustration, acceptance, depression, fear, etc.  We must be prepared to manage the emotions of our employees in a way that allows us to move forward with change in a positive manner.  How do you do this?  Share information.  Maybe you say that you are making cost cuts due to expected slow downs and ask them if they have any ideas on how your department can help.  This may actually prove a huge benefit and help you eliminate the need to cut people or other items you know you need or will need in the future.

If your company is not open book, then share what you can to ensure your employees will be by your side, help in managing the change and have a positive outlook.

Until next time, you can reach me at tara@twinlifecoaching.ca or feel free to check us out online at www.twinlifecoaching.ca.

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