The one thing ALL businesses actually do...

By Preston Mann // COO

I am going to make what, on its face, might seem like a controversial statement; Every business is engaged in the exact same activity. At first glance you might think this is demonstrably false, but hear me out. From the smallest startup to the largest company in the world, every business is continuously required to adjust to the shifting market conditions in order to stay competitive. They are all in the business of change. Back in the day a business might have been able to do the same thing year after year and get predictable results, but in the modern world it is adapt or die. Recognizing this, a lot of time and money is devoted to figuring out what to change in a business to make it more productive, efficient, and profitable. Similarly, there are well defined processes around change management that allow one to systematically implement new ways of doing things. What gets considerably less attention, although more in recent years, is the human element. Not only are there ways to lead people through change that can make or break the initiative, but there are ways of structuring businesses that can cause them to innovate instead of stagnate. To get a sense of where your company stands, here are three key questions to ask about how your company orients towards change and how that is helping or hindering your ability to adapt:

Chart by Dave Gray is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

What’s the vibe around change at my company?

When change is announced, does it prompt fear and loathing or a joyous chorus of employees? Do people seem more stressed during periods of change or are they energized? Most changes involve someone having to do something different in their day to day. There’s always going to be some amount of stress that comes from someone having to leave their comfort zone but there are ways that stress can be minimized, or even transmuted into energy and excitement.

How are changes presented to those that it will affect?

Are changes announced with humility or with a false sense of certainty? Are the changes presented as prescriptions or as invitations to experiment with a new way of doing things? Are the reasons for the change given with an acknowledgment of how the people executing it will be affected? After all the hard work deciding what changes to implement in order to move your company forward, can you imagine fumbling the ball on the rollout? Presented in the right way people can be rallied to the cause instead of burdened with change induced burnout

What is the process for innovation?

How do employee ideas make their way to decision makers? Are the people who are affected included in the process? A lot of changes are ill fated before they even get announced due to the fact that they are handed down from on high with little to no input from the internal stakeholders. Having an inclusive approach to innovation can position your company to thrive.

If you can ask yourself these questions and honestly say that your company has a human centered approach to change then count yourself lucky. If not, then you may want to rethink how you are doing things. With rates of burnout soaring the cost of not devoting resources to ensure that your employees are equipped to adapt to change are only increasing.

If you are interested in hearing more about our perspectives on change, check out our webinar this Friday.