Change can be necessary and uncomfortable, as well as innovative and exciting. The fact is that change is inevitable, and that’s especially true for organizations competing and trying to survive in a highly competitive and ever-changing market. The impetus for organizational change may come internally, externally, and as a result of new technologies, competition, financial pressures, and so on. If performed poorly, change can lead to major negative consequences, so it needs proper HR management to help avoid that.
Never Focus Just on the Change Itself
This is where most leaders and managers make a critical mistake. During the periods of change, they focus on planning, problem-solving, implementing, and meeting deadlines. All that requires extra energy, both from the leadership and employees, and the results may be fatigue or stress for everyone involved, even when the change is supported.
Change managers have the most control over rationality through logical arguments. They tend to describe all the reasoning and logic between a change initiative and benefits it will create. However, they oversee another important dimension of every change initiative – the emotional dimension. Emotions are difficult to detect and manage, especially if leadership is not emotionally intelligent or aware. But the truth is that employees are what they believe in, feel, and think.
When attempting to drive change, managers often neglect their employees’ beliefs, feelings, and thoughts, which are major drivers of behavior.
HR Managers Should Focus on the Emotional
Before implementing a change program, organizations typically align all the relevant facts, communicate their intentions and plans to the staff, and wait for change to occur. If it goes poorly, then they think that people just didn’t get it. Instead of focusing solely on the rational, they should focus on the emotional – the feelings of their staff. They must connect with them and get them on their side in facilitating change, or they’ll never get off the ground.
Organizations can do much more to prepare their staff for the next change. For companies that are undergoing a change management program, there are a few golden rules to follow:
- Put people first
- Consider the impact of a change
- Give everyone ownership of the change
- Communicate openly and constantly
- Think differently
A change management program is effective if it results in positive adoption. Every organization is unique, like every employee within it. A change affects everyone in the company, so the leadership and HR managers need to tell a story that everyone can identify with. Having employees involved in the process is critical. The days of top-down management are over. Today, you need to make it bottom up as well. When a change is driven only from the top, that’s where companies face employee resistance, unlike with an employee-driven change. Therefore, make sure to listen to your employees’ pain points and needs, focus on inbound communication, and spark creative discussions.
Are you trying to facilitate a change within your organization but don’t know how to engage your employees? If so, I would be glad to provide help. Feel free to book a few minutes to discuss.
Book an appointment with me at https://go.oncehub.com/GregNichvalodoff or call me at +1 (604) 943-0800.
