For most people, any
change is uncomfortable. Therefore, when managing change in the
workplace, it is your job is to help people to see that
whatever they've been doing in the past can no longer take place. That
neither they, nor the business, will be relevant without change.
Ignite the fire of urgency to change do so without frightening people
and destroying your teams' self-confidence and perceived ability to
win. Create a belief
that "We can do better!". You do this through finding
compelling and real evidence that people can
feel, see and touch that change must happen and happen now!
CREATE A CLEAR TOMORROW
People want a clear, simple-to-understand 'promised land' to which they
can travel. All organizations are challenged by the need to
remain relevant and must re-define their future regularly.
It is essential that people (employees, customers and suppliers) feel
connected to your business and Share the Vision of a new tomorrow that
they can buy into. Show
people how the vision
will contribute to their long-term development, security and enable
their work experience to be engaging and energizing.
Signal to people that things will be different - without denigrating
the past. Remember the glory of the golden past - but promise a
brighter future. And most importantly, remember to celebrate once
you're
on the path to the new way.
PEOPLE ARE THE KEY
Make sure you have the right people
on board (behaviour, skills attitudes) to deliver the tomorrow you
need.
Authentic participation in the change process, with many opportunities
to raise issues of concern, will help keep your team open to the
possibilities contained within the change. With participation you
enable them to become a
driving force in creating the new bright future.
Address and reduce the fear of change that is going to
naturally exist
within your team.
Recognize that people will complain about change. It's just
human
nature. It is your job to identify
whether people are complaining for the sake of complaining or
whether
they have valid concerns that if addressed
appropriatelycan enable the change process. If you have already
considered the issue raised, then an appropriate response could be 'Thanks for your input, we have
considered it and here's what we found... We are going ahead with the
announced change." However if the person is raising a new
issue and one that is important, then you should stop and consider the
impact of the issue raised.
If people need to
take action or make decisions as a result of the change, make
sure they
have ample time and information in which to do so.
Allowing people the avenues through which they can raise questions and
concerns and complaints is a necessary step in gaining
"acceptance" and
"commitment." Therefore, announce the change, give people
ample time to
become informed about whatever they feel they need to be informed about
and then make sure there is a mechanism in place for them to get their
questions answered and make good decisions based on information they
have had time to digest.
Bacon & Eggs for
Breakfast Anyone?
There three levels at
which people are involved in
change
Aware of
Accepting of
Committed to
All jobs and people in an organization are important, but when managing
change in the workplace, some are more important than others (just like
the pigs in Orwell's Animal Farm!).
As you begin a
change initiative, be aware of the level of involvement each of the
major stakeholders need to have in the change process. You then use
different communication processes and strategies for these different
stakeholders.
As an illustration. Supposing, your manufacturing
department decides they wish to introduce a new multi-skilling
initiative within
their area. This change affects the manufacturing department; they need
to be "committed"
to the change.
The Human Resource Dept probably needs
to be 'accepting
of' this new way of operating and will probably want to be involved in
reviewg at the compensation and
performance review processes, that support the change initiative.
Maybe no one else
in the organization even needs to know.
Or maybe you may want other departements, whose day-to-day work is not
affected by this change, for example the accounting department, to be "aware" of the new
way of operating.
HAVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
What Gets Measured and Rewarded
Gets Done - Well!
For example, in the US hair
salon business, John McCormack of Visible
Changes uses exact numeric expectations to empower the intangibles of
his vision.
To encourage excellent customer service McCormack expects
his stylists to build a request-by-name clientele. When requested by
name the stylist receives an extra 10%
commission. When that happens 50% of the time the
bonus increases an additional 10%.
Finally, when a stylist is
requested by name 75% of the time, the bonus kicks up another 10%. Once
the particular hairstylist is among the top 50 requested in the chain
he pays another super-bonus.
McCormack's operations outperform the
industry in almost every measure and his hair stylists earn three times
the industry average
People are motivated to achieve
things they can
see, touch
and measure. Imagine bowling and each time the ball was half-way down
the lane a big screen came down and you couldn't see how many pins you
knocked over. You'd soon get bored with the game and
quit.
As you are managing change in the workplace it is
important to:
relate your measures to your strategic advantage and
clearly spell out a numeric expectation for every job/process in the
organization.
Chart a few key behaviours that
indicate progress in
using the vision.
Post them graphically in
high-visibility areas -
lunch rooms, etc.
Get people to think and act like owners. Empower your
people by rewarding the 'right' behaviour - using your vision. Use many
different rewards - formal and informal - monetary and non-monetary -
group and individual.
CHANGE BEGINS WITH YOU
Get clear on the actions that reflect your vision
and demonstrate
them personally.
Your leadership integrity is one of the most important
variables in any successful change process. People trust their leaders'
actions more than they trust
their words, accordingly they watch and study your
every move. Live your
vision consistently by acting in
parallel with your pronouncements i.e walk your
talk. Because if you use the vision today and then
don't
tomorrow your people will resist using it at all.
JW
Marriott Jr spends time visiting his properties personally
taking time to care for the associates (employees) and checking the
little things that 'spell the difference for guests'. During his visits
he makes certain that team members see him personally using the
vision.
Speak with conviction that you are serious
about the
change. You probably have 30-40 daily interactions with
people, which is your
opportunity to drive home and communicate your vision.
Make it a priority to highlight and talk about the times when the new
way of operating is working. People will then be encouraged to move
toward the new way.
The trust you have previously built will either pay off
or pay back!
As you are managing change in the workplace, rumours
will flow rapidly
through the business. Unfortunately, as more and more people re-tell
them, they gain greater validity in the minds of people than the formal
communications that you deliver.
If you have not previously established
a high level of
trust between you and your team members there will be a price to pay.
That price is that people will prefer to believe in the rumours and
myths that fly around than what you are saying and what is really
happening.
You can best manage myths and rumours by
consistently guiding people toward a new set of priorities and
values. Which means you need to be accessible, open
and a
rock upon which people can rely.
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