The Dreaded Word

It’s sure to strike fear in the hearts of the most seasoned sales staff.  It’s guaranteed to terrify all but the most courageous and self-assured executive.  And, what it does to clerical and lower level management, production staff, and almost everybody else is simply too gruesome to describe.  What is it you ask?  It can be summarized in a single word.

Change.
Nothing else, save a pink slip or an order to give the keynote address at the next corporate convention is so likely to reduce even the most confident employee to a quivering mass of jello.  Yes, change is inevitable, but it should be handled carefully.   One important element of successful change is certainly how you communicate it.

First, never forget that major change will be tough.  No matter how much you prepare; how much you gather outside information, solicit stake-holder input, or offer reassuring speeches or even grand reassuring gestures, there will be stress and resistance.  Old habits are hard to break, even for key employees.

Second, know where you’re going.  Why is it necessary to change?  What’s going to be different?  Who will be affected?  Avoid buzzwords.  Sure, the company needs to be “lighter on its feet” and “more flexible” but know exactly what that mean to the organization communicate it in understandable terms.

Third, listen.  Tell you employees the drivers that compel change and what you hope to achieve.  Offer a range of possible solutions and solicit their input.  At best, you may develop some effective strategies from the responses you get.  But, regardless of the responses, you will achieve an associate force that feels involved and empowered.  By explaining, soliciting input, and listening you will be a long way down the road to achieving critical buy-in.

Fourth, act early and often.  The worst thing for morale would be change that’s “sprung” on your associate force.  They feel bushwhacked; because that’s exactly what’s happened.  Start the change process well before the target date.  Communicate often, and never confuse process with results.  Just because you have a smashing power-point and have formed a series of transition teams, don’t think the communication battle is complete.

Fifth, reach people any way you can.  That powerpoint given in transition team meetings is a good idea; but it shouldn’t be your only idea.  Frequent personal conversations are a key part of transition management.  If you have a company intranet site, use it.  Have an easily accessible and easily understandable page devoted to the change.  Use Email, your managers, and drop in on the work floor yourself.  People absorb information in different combinations of ways.  Some people are predominantly visual learners, some need to write things down, others need to hear it.  Do all these things.

Change is required to keep pace in the modern marketplace; but change is the dreaded word.  The key to effectively managing the transition is the same as the key to ultra-motivated employees:  encourage buy-in.  Make everybody feel they’re an integral part of the change and that, perhaps, they even contributed to the shape of the things that will come.

photo credit: stephenphampshire