Change can be hard on everyone in a business, and people often deal with it in different ways. You may find that you have some staff members eager for change, while others might be reluctant. Many people prefer to stay within comfort zones rather than push boundaries, but with planning, you can make the transition easier. There are several things you can do to ensure that changes to your business will run smoothly.
Encourage open discussion
Maintaining an open dialogue with your staff will be paramount for your success. Your employees want to feel as though they are informed about decisions and how the change will impact them. Creating a method that will allow ongoing communication at all levels will demonstrate your commitment to your employees. Open communications allow you to explain how proposed changes will be beneficial.
Throughout the process of implementing change, have frequent discussions so that your staff feel they are involved in the process the whole way through. Regular staff meetings and forums are a great way to achieve this transparency. Allow everyone to ask questions and voice concerns so you can gauge how best to approach any concerns.
Follow a process
When dealing with change, people like to see a step-by-step process laid out in front of them so they can follow along. Your business should have a well-defined process that will help you implement change in an easy and stress-free way.
Identify each stage of the proposed changes and explain how it will impact different people. You can create a plan and circulate it to your employees so they can adjust to the notions of what is to come before it happens. By doing this, you are giving staff time to prepare and adjust before the changes are implemented. If there are specific employees that will be affected more than others, speak with them directly about how their role may change going forward and the best way to handle that process. A Diploma in Human Resources Management (BSB50618) is a great asset to have in this scenario as it will give you the skills to guide people through change, as well as how to create processes for different people.
Utilise Management
Management must be there to ensure staff maintain work ethic, and stay productive in their daily tasks. Managers will also be instrumental in keeping staff engaged in their work.
Managers bring skills like communication, interpersonal techniques and leadership traits that are comforting to staff who struggle with change. You need to be confident that your managers can understand change and how it will be implemented, then convey this to anxious staff. Your managers may benefit from becoming qualified with a diploma to increase their skills while working. In providing this career growth opportunity, your managers will be able to understand their teams better and know how to guide everyone through the process.
Be clear on the goal
At the end of the day, your staff want to know what the plan is for the business and their jobs. Explain very clearly what the end goal is when implementing a change, how it will positively impact the business and how it could potentially challenge the status quo. Employees want the entire picture so they can understand why and how changes will happen. Your honesty will ensure that staff can visualise your goals and will be able to help you accomplish them faster.
Earning a diploma will give you the skills and knowledge to guide you through the implementation of change. Having strategies and processes to guide staff will make the transition easier and more likely to succeed.