Problems Encountered in Change Management
Organizational Problems
First is the complexity of your organizational structure. The larger it is, the harder it will be to coordinate all the moving pieces and face the many challenges that it poses.
Insufficient planning can slow change implementation since managers have to spend more time managing unforeseen issues in addition to the change itself.
Implementation speed can also impact success. On the one hand, if it’s too fast, employees will have to adapt to too many changes at once. On the other, if it’s drawn out too long, you’ll risk creating a general feeling of withdrawal.
Too often, we underestimate the impact of changes on employees even though they’re the ones who must adapt to them and manage all the associated stressors.
Communication Problems
Obviously, communication issues create uncertainty, frustration, and misunderstandings. When it comes to changes, these problems become amplified. Similarly, a lack of follow-ups increases employee tension levels.
In addition, if employees aren’t trained on new practices, they are more likely to resist changes, which negatively affects company performance and success.
Individual Problems
As we’ve seen, employees at companies undergoing large organizational changes experience stress, uncertainty, and frustration. In losing their routine, some also fear losing their jobs.
These elements increase resistance to change which starts with individuals and spreads to their team in the absence of support from the managers involved.
Interpersonal conflicts are another problem that arises during organizational changes. Whether resulting from disagreements about a specific change or feelings of unfairness regarding a revised distribution of responsibilities, these conflicts are latent until they erupt in broad daylight.
The Keys to Success
Each organizational change theory presents its own steps. To address the keys to success in this area, we were inspired by and have loosely adapted John Kotter’s* research.
*Professor Emeritus of Leadership at the Harvard Business School and opinion leader in the fields of business, leadership, and change.
Preparing Your Team
In anticipation of changes, it’s of the utmost importance to prepare your team for the upcoming transition. This includes communicating your long-term vision clearly and transparently, as well as explaining the reasons for the desired change, the foreseen advantages, and the risks run if this change isn’t achieved.
It’s essential for you to listen to your employees’ concerns, points of view, and anticipated obstacles. When they feel heard and understood, they become more involved in the process and show less resistance.
Achieving Change
This is where concrete actions come into play: moving desks, installing new technological devices or systems, etc. It’s best for each of these actions to be split into sub-tasks and ordered based on priority beforehand.
At this stage, communication reaches a new level: guiding employees who feel destabilized in the absence of their old routine. This is referred to as organizational grief. Offer them resources if needed.
Training is another key element to success, enabling employees to gain new skills related to implemented changes.
Overall, managers and executives carry the weight of success on their shoulders when it comes to change. Their leadership and adaptability to problems inspire their employees to implement changes.
To strengthen the morale of your team and motivate them to go along with the change process, highlight their achievements every step of the way, from the beginning to the end.
Long-Term Sustainability
Since changes require time, energy, and a lot of investment, it’s important to ensure their sustainability. Managers must verify that their teams continue to implement changes post-launch.
By communicating the positive results that come out of these changes in different areas of the organization, for example reduced production costs or waste, members of executive leadership will facilitate change integration.
In conclusion, it’s clear that human skills are much more important than change implementation techniques. That’s why many universities offer Change Management programs. Don’t hesitate to train your managers and equip them to become agents of change.
In this way, work to establish a culture of change within your organization. Adopting values like innovation, diversity, and adaptability demonstrate your ability and willingness to stay up to date. In addition to facilitating upcoming changes, this culture will more than likely bring the best talent to your doorstep.
At Bedard Human Resources, we can help you achieve successful change management. Contact Stéphane Pépin for more information about our HR consulting services.
