In business,听change happens quickly. 听When the economic climate is good, companies tend to thrive and look for new ways to gain market share. In tougher economic times, companies are forced to take a look at new ways of doing things in order to stay competitive.
New technology, company mergers,听changing economies,听competitor acquisitions听and reorganizations are just a few of the changes businesses must prepare and adjust for on a frequent basis.听A survey sponsored by Citigroup in 2012 showed听53% of听750 small businesses听havereinvented their business in the past two years.听Most CEO鈥檚 reported they听have听changed their products of service offerings, updated their technology and staffing or beefed up sales and marketing.
Sometime change occurs before听companies听can properly prepare for it. 听This听issue,听combined with the fact that some听employees听resist change 鈥� and even fear it 鈥� can be problematic for companies. 听With change comes uncertainty, the fear of the unknown and usually听a littledisorganization.听听Yet,听there are ways to make change and transitions more seamless. 听It takes a little planning, working as a team and rewards for a job well done at the end.
Let鈥檚 take a look at some steps businesses can take to manage change:
1. Plan听Your Message
As a business manager or executive, planning for the change is the hardest part. 听Remember that all eyes will be on you as the 鈥榣eader鈥� of the organization. 听If you systematically plan, embrace the change and deliver a听supporting听Look at all the moving pieces and decide how to move forward. 听When will you notify employees? 听How will you tell them? What will operations look like? How much will the change cost?
2. Work as a Team
Executive teams that work together are best positioned for success. 听Make sure all business stakeholders are involved and understand the need for the change. 听Make them Change Leaders and give them ownership and responsibility for the process. Involve managers at every level,听requesting听input and tactical advice for rolling out the new plan.
3. Deliver the Message
For smaller businesses in particular, the workplace is like a second family. In families, as in work, no one likes to be the last to know. 听Keep employees informed at all stages of the transition: from initial announcement and at regular intervals along the way. People react to what they hear and see, so if the message is positive, about future growth, job security and perhaps even promotions and raises, the message and the reaction will stay positive.
4. Manage Expectations and Resistance
Be prepared for lots of questions. 听Employees will immediately drill down to any announcement听times.听Employees fear change largely because of the uncertainty that comes along with it. 听A good business practice would be to plan ahead for organizational changes听and establish a plan to effectively manage the changes to come.听Consider multiple ways of communicating with employees: e-mail blasts, software system messages, team meetings and even texts. Whatever has to be done to get the message out and gain acceptance.
Remember, change is about opportunity and growth. 听Letting go听of the old ways of doing things听and embracing new concepts is part of the business life cycle.听With the right planning, change can go smoothly. The upside is, once you鈥檝e gotten accustomed to change, it won鈥檛 seem as daunting.