Introducing a change in your company? Help workers take it well

We are all to varying degrees conservative or, on the contrary, progressive. Generally speaking, however, people are not too fond of change. It is human nature to prefer the status quo, which is why many employees may have problems identifying with any significant change in your company. Here are some tips on what to do or not do with regard to employees when implementing major changes within your firm.

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What not to do

  • Do not avoid an explanation of the situation. According to the HR Zone website, managers and HR specialists are often so overwhelmed with thinking about the problem and finding a solution that they forget others might not know anything about the issue. Thus the first step is to explain to employees in a very simple way the need for and the benefits of the intended change.
  • Do not be afraid to introduce the change in an entertaining way. If you just send your workers a new regulation in pdf and leave it at that, you cannot then be surprised if the reaction is negative. Present the change in an illustrative, entertaining way.
  • Do not make compromises. With every change come sceptics. Managers often then make compromises and the change turns into a half-hearted, poor imitation of the original idea. If you are introducing a change, you should have it thought out and be ready to defend it without making useless compromises on account of certain sceptics.

What to do

  • Take the company culture into consideration. For the change to have a positive impact on the whole company and be well accepted by the employees, it should be in accordance with your company culture and aim at the long-term strategic goals of your company.
  • Be truly convinced by the solution. If you are being forced to make the change by your superiors or other circumstances you cannot influence, your presentation of it to other workers will reflect this. For the change to be accepted in a positive way, you must agree with it and personally be convinced it is a step in the right direction.
  • Be ready to defend the change. With every change there are doubts, complaints and questions as to whether the change is necessary. Always be ready to defend the change, not just when it is initially implemented but in whatever situations may arise in the future.

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Article source HR Zone - British website focused on HR
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