Change in the workplace happens faster and faster, which may cause employees to feel disconnected over time. Leaders feel frustrated by the low rate of change acceptance. In both cases, it’s creating “change fatigue.”
The way we work has changed over the past few years, and during the same time, the old ways of managing change have become increasingly less effective.
One aspect of change remains the same – when we look closely enough, we’ll find opportunity.
Gartner’s article, Changing Change Management, offers an in-depth look and analysis of what change management looks like today and different ways to approach this concept. Below are three key concepts we know will help you implement new strategies in your workplace. Change management is a part of every service we offer to help organizations move forward in new and different ways.
3 Key Elements to Implementing New Workplace Strategies
Strategically Involve Employees in Workplace Changes
Employees want to feel valued, and company leaders recognize this as a way to retain them. If a company wants to initiate change within the office, they should be transparent with employees early in the process. A recent statistic shows that “…74% of leaders say they involved employees in creating change strategy, only 42% of employees felt like they were truly included.” It may feel overwhelming to include all employees in this conversation. Upper management can decide who would best help implement specific changes and how to include them. Leaders should consider an employee’s expertise and impact on colleagues when making decisions. Although this could slow down the decision-making process, better decisions will be made upfront, saving time and confusion in the long run.
Include Employees in Implementing Changes
People commit to what they help create. As mentioned, in the past, leaders typically decided on and implemented changes. If leaders shift the change implementation planning to the employees, it can increase the probability of success by 12%. Employees should be empowered to bring in new ideas and experiment to better their environment. Using values from the C-Suite, employees at every level will have guidelines on implementing the changes they want to see. They are the ones in the space every day and have a better understanding of where things need to be improved and can also speed up the implementation process. Through this concept, employees will feel important and more likely to accept the change if they can assist in creating it.
Empower Others by Talking, Not Telling
Communication is key, no matter what strategic plan works best in your organization. Still, there is a difference between telling, or dictating change, to your team and talking or having an open conversation about change. In the past, “top-down” communication made employees feel like they were being talked to about change and that it was happening to them instead of for them. This type of communication can reduce understanding of changes, leading to anger, frustration, anxiety, and even resistance toward new initiatives. Employees want to feel part of the conversation and contribute to recent changes, and having multiple ways of communicating and gathering feedback is essential. For example, creating workshops or surveys for employees to encourage them to express any new ideas or negative feelings about the change is a great way to gain a consensus from the group and make any adjustments. This will lessen resistance to change, and employees will want to move forward and drive change.
As the workforce and the workplace change, it can feel challenging to keep up, and that’s exactly what we can help you with as you transform your organization’s physical space to support its strategic plans. HF Planners can help you bring your workspace to life and support your company’s needs as they evolve. Learn more about how change management is essential to implementing a hybrid workplace by visiting our website and scheduling time to talk with one of our expert Facility Planners.
