Managing Organizational Change Part 4: Working Staff Through Change
With nothing as ubiquitous as change in our society and world, this blog concludes our four-part series on effectively identifying and managing change in your organization.
With a problem clearly identified, the type of problem articulated, and a viable solution or two identified, you still need to implement the solution. While we talk about preparing staff for change fourth in this series, you actually need to start this process well before you even begin to identify the problem as I firmly believe that change should happen with people, not to them.
Successfully engaging staff in organizational change begins with creating an organizational culture that supports change.
A culture of change begins by assuring that all staff have a commitment to your mission and purpose. This sounds simple, but don’t assume that just because people work for your organization that they have a commitment to its mission and purpose – or even know your mission or purpose. They may just see their work as simply a job. To prevent or minimize this, have intentional conversations with your staff about why your organization exists and what it does to gain consensus and buy-in.
Second, a culture of change means that staff have access to information and focus on continual learning. Similar to the discussion in the last post about the need for continual learning, one cannot identify a problem if they never see organizational data or take the time to understand the broader environment in which the organization exists. They also need to review their work critically, not going through the motions, but really getting to know the people they serve, their needs, and ways to possibly improve. When we stop learning, we stop growing, and effective change requires growth.
Finally, a culture of change requires that you have open, honest, and transparent communication throughout your organization. Staff need to feel comfortable alerting management – and each other – to problems or challenges that they see in the organization and client services. Likewise, management has to feel comfortable hearing these critiques – even if they emanate from that person’s actions – as do program staff across the organization. If everyone has a deep commitment to the organization’s mission and purpose, they can set aside their parochialism to act in the best interest of the organization; admittedly, easier said than done!
Even when you have a culture of change, you need to keep staff engaged and informed throughout the process. Start by engaging them in problem identification and solution generation. When they have a hand in identifying the problems and the solutions, they have a vested interest in making the solution successful. Besides, as the people closest to the clients and problem, they most likely have the best perspective on them and can most correctly identify the true problem and develop the most workable solutions.
Part of that process also includes communicating openly, honestly and frequently. In times of change, people become very anxious. In the absence of facts, they fill in the blanks themselves, resulting in rumors and lots of back-channel communication. You can minimize that effect by countering the rumors with facts. Remember that in times of stress, people will not always hear what you say and that it takes hearing a message 7 times for it to resonate, so keep communicating even if you feel like a broken record.
Most importantly, allow staff the time to grieve. Research on organizational change shows that people avoid change not because they fear the unknown, but because they do not want to let go of the familiar. Even if they want the change and have a handle in planning and implementing it, they will feel a loss. Think about when you made a significant life change. Even if you made the decision freely and see it as the best move for you, you will still think about everything that you will leave behind. Give them time and space to talk about their fears of what they will lose so they feel better about it.
