Supporting people through dynamic and complex organisational changes
Julie Hodges
Professor @ Durham University Business School / Expert in People-Centric Business Change / International Best-Selling Author
Organisations are facing unprecedented and, in some cases, enforced change which is putting immense pressure on employees at all levels and leading many to reassess their careers and some to even resign from their jobs.?To manage the dynamic and complex changes affecting organisations there is a need to focus on:
·?????Being empathetic, using compassionate words and actions to decrease the damage which may be inflicted by changes.
·?????Protecting individuals from waking up every day anxious about whether there will be negative impacts on their job or even whether they will have a job.?This means communicating clearly and concisely about the impact of changes on jobs, roles and responsibilities and providing space for individuals to raise issues and concerns.
·?????Helping individuals and teams to build resilience, so that they have the ability to survive and thrive through unpredictable and complex changes.
·?????Accepting that people affected by changes need time to get upset, recover, and weigh their personal options.?Even when change must be done quickly there is a need to recognise that people accept and process news about changes at different rates and in different ways.
·?????Ensuring the wellness of employees.?This means not only providing organisational level support but also checking in with people to see how they are doing and having a virtual or face-to-face coffee with them.
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·?????Giving individuals and teams control over how change is implemented, especially if they can’t be given control over what has to change.
·?????Being transparent and clear about what is known, what is not known about changes and what the organisation is doing to learn more.
·?????Encouraging people to speak up honestly about the current problems/opportunities they see and providing data on what is working and not working.?With accurate data individuals and teams can turn their attention and capabilities to the challenges of addressing issues.
·?????Creating a climate of psychological safety in which people can raise questions, concerns and ideas without fear of personal repercussion.
This is by no means a definitive list but it does provide some suggestions for ensuring that change is more people-centric.
Professor Julie Hodges is the author of several books including: ‘Managing and Leading People through Change’ (Kogan Page);?‘Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change’?(Kogan Page);?Sustaining Change in Organizations?(Sage) and?‘Employee Engagement for Organizational Change’?(Routledge) and?‘Organization Development: how organizations change and develop effectively’?(Palgrave McMillan).?Her latest book is?‘Reshaping the HR: the role of HR in organizational change’ (Routledge).?
Agile organisations, self-managing teams, leading change
3 年A great crib-sheet for leaders, Julie. Thank you for sharing. A frustration can be that these things aren't done, but they aren't difficult. A little thought and patience from leaders can go a long way to engage teams and this quickly feed through to overall business performance, even in times of change. We are often too much in a hurry to deliver the tasks on the plan. Isn't there a phrase, "slow down to speed up"?
Consultant, Coach & Trainer | Wellness, Performance & Change | I help leaders master their stress, emotions and mental and adapt to change, individually and collectively
3 年This is a good list! Underneath this, is the need for authentic connection and safe spaces to engage in open dialogue . Well-being and change are interrelated and one of the best ways to reduce the negative impact of stress caused by changes is through social support system. Reducing feeling of uncertainty and lack of control and sense of efficacy also reduces stress associated with change. We can do this by allowing people to discuss and share perspectives to make sense of what is going on and giving them an opportunity to participate in the creation of solution or the future.
Values-based organisational development & transformative change role model, helping individuals and teams to be the best they can
3 年Really insightful ????