With the global financial crisis in full swing, many businesses will experience periods of rapid change, downsizing and restructuring during the next few months. The way you present the changes to your employees will have a big impact on levels of employee loyalty, morale and productivity during the implementation period.  There are several ways you can help employees deal with change to reduce productivity losses and the impact on employee morale.
 
Most people hate change
It has been said that the only people who like change are wet babies. Change happens rapidly in this world, but people are often slower to react to the changes. Change is hard to deal with because it involves death of the familiar and takes us out of our comfort zone. Change will violate cherished group norms, routines and may increase anxiety levels in some employees.
 
People can become anxious about having to work harder, learn new skills or work methods or may fear the loss of their job. Change creates uncertainty which can cause employees to feel anger, bewilderment, confusion and stress. This in turn can affect employee morale, productivity and even loyalty to the business.
 
The first action you should take is to consider how individual employees are likely to react to the change. This could have an effect on how best to announce the change. For example, some individuals may react very badly, and announcing the change in a group situation can lead to some more outspoken employees infecting others with their negativity about the change.
 
Announce the Change
You may decide that giving individual employees the information in a one on one meeting will enable better employee buy-in to the change. Sometimes, if the leaders of different groups seem to accept the change, it is easier for the rest of the group to accept the change.  
 
Giving selected individuals advance warning before the announcement to the whole work team, gives those employees a chance to assimilate their thoughts on the change and to promote positive aspects of the change. Good communication in the announcement of the change is the key to success and increasing employee commitment to the change.
 
Explain the Change
Employees are more likely to accept a change if they are respected enough to be given full explanations as to why the change has to happen. Explain the change fully so that everyone is clear about what is changing, and what is not changing. Give individuals a chance to ask questions about how the change will precisely affect them and how you will help them to prepare for it.
 
Give some balance to change by pointing out the advantages. Because change invokes fear on some level, people will tend to focus on the negative impact of the change and will ignore potential benefits. It is your job to allow the benefits to shine through too. 
 
Communicate During Transition
Once individuals have said goodbye to the old, but have not yet welcomed in the new, there is a time of transition as the change becomes fully implemented. During this time, your employees may experience a sense of unreality, emptiness and confusion. Productivity may suffer at this time, as people go through the motions but work without energy and diligence.
 
Communication about the change and supporting your employees with information will help make the transition as short as possible. Keep sharing the positive aspects of the change.
 
Reduce Resistance to Change
The following suggestions will help you to reduce the resistance to change in your team: 

• Explain the organisation's values, vision and strategy and show how the change is linked to the future of the company.
• Detail the change clearly in terms of goals, performance indicators, standards, expected behaviours and company culture.
• Explain how they will benefit from a successful change.
• Involve your team in designing, planning and implementing the change as much as possible. Engage individuals with the process of the change to encourage employee buy in.
• Commit the necessary resources to the change implementation including budget, time, communication and training.
• Build a critical mass of supporters in key roles within the team.
• Provide early signs of visible progress in implementing the change so that employees will be encouraged during the transition stages.  (This is probably the most important tip of all!)
• Look after your employees and help them through the discomfort zone between where you are and where you need to be as an organisation.
• Publicise successes and reward the supporters of the change.
• Keep communicating and listening to your employees during this difficult period.  Knowing you have taken the time to listen can help them adjust to the change.

 
New Beginning
As the change becomes fully implemented, and resistance to the change is diminished, hope emerges. At this stage of the change, employees will adopt new goals and start planning for the future. All of the energy previously spent in resisting the change will now be used to deal with it constructively.
 
When introducing change to an organisation, be prepared. You can assist employees to accept the change more quickly by ensuring open communication, support and training during the transition phase of the change implementation.  Spending time and resources on implementing a change properly will prevent losses in employee morale, loyalty and productivity.  

For practical people management advice and tools, call us at Balance at Work on +612 9233 2293 or 1800 785 150, email advice@balanceatwork.com.au or visit our website www.balanceatwork.com.au. We look forward to assisting you!