Change management can pose one of the greatest challenges for business owners and managers. This challenge is derived from the need to establish a framework and structured processes whereby leaders can successfully lead an organisation in terms of behaviours, implementing the required changes needed for the organisation to be profitable and successful.
Change in business is identical to the change process we encounter as we navigate our day-to-day individual lives. It’s new, innovative and can even be feared, but it is something that is necessary for continued growth and development. Despite it being a necessary process, most business owners and managers get it more wrong that they do right.
To assist with the change management processes in your business, here are six must do’s.
Employees are more likely to accept and respond positively to change when there is an established or identified need for the change. If managers and business owners want to be taken seriously when attempting to make process and operational changes, demonstrating the need for the change is the best starting point.
To ensure you cover this basis, start with answering key questions that your employees are likely to ask, such as, why is this change necessary? How will the change benefit the business? How will the change impact employees? Having an innovating plan and a clear vision will also assist greatly.
Communication is an integral component of successful change management. When making changes to organisational processes, having a clear communication plan established, will ensure that all your employees across your business are on the same page and have the same awareness of your intentions. Your communication plan should focus on how your messages will be shared with employees, the regularity of the communication and the types of communication you will use to share your message. It is also imperative that your communication plan include the opportunity for employees to provide feedback.
Additionally, communicating the changes repeatedly, using various methods of communication will also ensure that your employees are likely to be more aware of the changes and will encourage them to have a greater understanding of the changes, including the motivation, background, and the need for the changes, which will assist them to adopt your vision more readily. Including this detail in your communication plan, will also set you up for success.
Change is scary and many employees can and will struggle to adopt changes when they are fearful. Addressing fears early in the change management process will ensure the changes are easily adopted.
It is important that managers and business owners don’t make assumptions during this part of the change management process, assuming their proposed changes will be met with resistance before listening. Instead, ask questions as part of the change process, and put yourself in your employees’ shoes to uncover the real reasons behind resistance. Asking yourself as a manager of business owners questions such as “why are my reasonable and rational employees against this”, will not only assist you to uncover potential flaws in your proposed changes, but will assist you in addressing the fear your employees have with change.
Managers and business owners must lead change, in order for changes to be successfully applied in a business setting.
This starts with asking the right questions of your employees so you obtain constructive and relevant feedback that you can incorporate and address as part of the change management process.
Asking for feedback at multiple points of the change process and using feedback as a tool to assist growth, rather than viewing it as negativity, will assist in change being more broadly adopted in your business and will also ensure your employees feel part of the process.
Change is not something that is black and white and has a defined start and finish point. Change is something that is continuous. As a business owner or manager who is leading change within a business it is important to be flexible when implementing change.
Be open to suggestions and be prepared to utilise feedback to change your project goals, admit that you as a leader may not have all the answers, and be ready to adapt your strategy to ensure the best result.
Change simply cannot occur without your employees being involved in the process. The more involved they are, the more likely it is that your changes will be adopted. So, get your team around you and work to implement the change.
Change management involves proactive and innovative thinking. As a business leader you hold all the cards when it comes to leading your employees to demonstrate positive behaviours that will enable continuous change and growth and implementing our six ‘must do’s’ you are well on your way to implementing successful changes to your business.
