Leaders must ensure that their employees remain engaged and motivated during times of organizational change. Aligning people with the reason for the change is essential for success. To avoid a difficult transition period, managers and human resource leaders must focus on ensuring that their workforce is on their side and remains fully engaged at all times. Below are seven proven strategies to effectively manage change in organizations.
Before implementing any change initiatives, it is important to create formal agreements. A Towers Watson survey reveals that companies with high employee retention rates after the acquisition used formal agreements 73 percent of the time, while only 33 percent of companies with low retention used such agreements. Leaders must create a safe environment and a mechanism that allows employees to express their problems and raise them before there is any chance that they will worsen or be derailed. Additionally, feedback loops with employees, such as surveys, feedback channels, and feedback sessions should be created to proactively identify signs of resistance and then take quick action. In order to ensure successful change initiatives, it is important to create a clear vision and communicate it to all stakeholders.
With a defined vision, you'll eliminate any confusion among your employees or stakeholders about how the team will adapt. Employees should be made to feel valued and appreciated. All employed people have been offered a job because they are necessary for the company and are expected to perform well throughout their employment. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to accept the change and participate in making it happen. Internal promotion is also an effective way to ensure employee engagement during times of organizational change. It creates a positive message throughout the organization and shows employees that there is an opportunity to grow. Finally, it is important to create a culture where employees feel capable of asking questions and are confident that nothing will be overlooked or hidden from them.
It's during times of transition that disengaged employees are more likely to show feelings of discontent.
