Change is an essential part of a dynamic organization. Tell ya something you didn’t know?

Organizational changes often trigger anxiety leading to intense resistance and even business failure, in some cases. Many feel the failure of Lehman Brothers can be traced back to the changes in the strategic direction of the firm in 2006.  Even a huge empire can reduce to ashes when change is not managed properly.

Managers, however, need to take charge of the daunting task. Whether it is a minor tweak or a large structural change, they need to ensure that people embrace the initiative and make the necessary alterations in their day-to-day activities.

Here are a few simple strategies that you can use to help your employees buy into change.

Communicate the Plan

Help your employees understand the personal context of change rather than focusing on the enterprise rationale for the initiative. How is this best for them personally and for our team? A formal communication system may be more effective, but speaking personally can help seal the commitment.

Communicate with your team members why they should be part of the change process along with individual goals illustrating success from employees’ point of view. This may allow them to form a connection which may encourage involvement and a greater willingness to accept a change.

Delegate Roles

Managers may typically assume most of the responsibility to manage an organizational change. Actually, they should focus on delegating the roles instead of dictating all activities. Effective delegation may allow people to engage and adapt the process systematically which can make it easier for them to accept and implement.

Set Actionable and Measurable Goals

Although change may need high-level output to accelerate success, you need to set actionable and measurable goals to encourage change on an individual level. Show your employees how they can alter their work routine to work smarter and achieve personal and organizational objectives. Furthermore, setting measurable goals can also allow convenient review of how the change is embraced. This may help you identify problem areas to devise an alternate plan for limiting resistance.

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Is your workforce having a hard time embracing a change? With the shelf life of innovation shrinking at exponential levels, we face it on an increasing basis.  Need to get the team on-board? Let Jon Petz help. With his expertise, inspirational speaker Jon Petz has helped hundreds of organizations transform the ideas of their workforce. Give him a call at (614) 456-3072 to check availability and rates for Jon as a motivational speaker on change.