Tony Gleeson Organisational Change: How to Cope when your Staff Can't!.........
Being able to successfully navigate and lead a team through organisational change or upheaval is a valuable skill for
managers, one that requires a delicate balance of authority and emotional intelligence.
Change has the potential to evoke the full spectrum of reactions from staff – from positive exuberance and
excitement to negativity, obstinacy, even depression in which many people find organisational change difficult to deal
with.
Left unmanaged, their inability to cope can have a lasting negative impact, not just on their own work and
engagement level, but also on the performance and job satisfaction of their co-workers.
So as a manager, what can you do when someone in your workforce is struggling to cope with change?
Having joined the AIM V / T team during a period of great change and development (new CEO and new CBD
headquarters) my change management skills, strategies and plans were put to the test during 2013.
While the team have been very welcoming and enthusiastic to embrace the challenges we face and learn of the
benefits these shifts and direction will bring to everyone, some individuals can be slow to get on board for a variety of
reasons.
Below are five change management tips I’ve found to be both practical and effective to make progress and move
forward.
- Get the vision right: Make sure you have a very clear vision of what you expect the change to achieve. Revisit
and reinforce the long-range objectives regularly. Don’t lose sight of them until you get there. - Communicate: Always be open and consistent with your communication around change. Clearly explain the
reasons behind the change, why it’s happening, how it will affect the long-term goals and performance of the
organisation, and what impact it will have. Ensure your team is up to date with new developments. - Listen: Acknowledge that change can be difficult to deal with and be prepared to listen to people’s
reservations, fears and concerns. Staff are often nervous there will no longer be a role for them or that they
won’t be able to perform as well if their role changes, particularly if the change is one that involved cutbacks
or re-structuring. Being able to see their place in the bigger picture is often all it takes to change their outlook
and settle nerves. - Offer a new perspective: Give staff the tools to see change in a positive light. Focus on potential
improvements and benefits to help them get a balanced perspective on the pros and cons of organizational or
policy change. - Be firm: Ultimately, individuals can resist or embrace change. If they insist on adopting a negative attitude, it
can be damaging to the whole team. When you have tried all of the above and they still can’t get on board, it
may be time for them to embrace change and growth by moving on with an adjustment in their career path.
The key insights I have found are in delivering in these five areas and keep measuring the impact while making
adjustments.
Consider the words of one of our great leaders and WWII victory architects, Sir Winston Churchill who said "However
beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results".
Checking in by regularly monitoring your team and business progress will provide you growth and new success in
2014.
Tony Gleeson is CEO Australian Institute of Management (Victoria &
Tasmania) and has held senior roles with Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and CPA Australia. His expertise in technology enablement, process
improvement and general management strategy combined with his passion
for educational design and development ensures he and his AIM team will
lead AIM V / T into an exciting era of change and opportunity.
http://www.aimvic.com.au or [email protected]