How to help others cope with changes at work

Change is here to stay.

I bet your business is changing SOMETHING right now. Organisations are being forced to react and become more agile. They need to innovate to keep up with industry trends of digitisation and automation.

So this means that you are going to be on the receiving end of new processes, job descriptions, priorities, divisions, structures, challenges, opportunities etc etc.

A lot of people find this level of change unnerving. 

It makes us question our continued relevance in the organisation. It can cause frustration as new processes bed in, or outright annoyance when they don't work. 

It creates that unnerving feeling of 'what next' and can make people anxious. 

So what can you do to support your colleagues and maintain your own well being during periods of intense change in your business?

1) Clear communication

When you're involved in a change, it is natural that you would know a lot about it. For example, as a leader you could have been asked to provide a business impact assessment, or contribute to the design of a new product or team to support you. 

You will plausibly have been involved in discussions over a period of weeks or months. This means that you've had a period of time to understand what is happening and why. And adjust your perspective and prepare for the change.

When you come to communicate the new change to your team, you must remember that they are at point zero.What you say could be a small or significant surprise. Leaders regularly fail on this point. They're so far ahead down the change curve, that they struggle to take a step back and explain what led to the decision.

So get someone you trust to sense check your communication plan. And ensure you cover WHY the change is happening. If people believe in the rationale they accept change more readily.

If you're on the receiving end of this messaging, ask questions. Being an early adopter can help you personally as well as your broader business.


2) Tailor your support

People have different coping mechanisms for dealing with change. Some people will want to be given time to reflect while others have immediate questions. Some will be excited about what's coming and others will resistit.

Knowing your team will help you to tailor your approach. The time for challenging and shaping the change proposal has been and gone - this is now about delivery.

So be clear with the team that this change is here to stay. Deal with objections by explaining the why. And ask the team to raise challenges and improvement ideas so you can use the feedback loop for continuous improvement.

What feedback can you share to help embed the next change that lands?


Change is challenging to deal with - hopefully you'll use these ideas to help support your colleagues. If you're anxious about delivering an upcoming message, or are concerned how to deal with a change impacting you, drop me a line and I'd be happy to speak to you.

Wishing you all the best

Kat

P.S. In short, organisations are going through a high level of change. Improve communication by explaining why it is happening and giving people the opportunity to contribute. If you're unsettled by a current change, I'm happy to help.