Prepare for Organizational Change
While most leaders and change management consultants understand that organizational change can be complicated, few seem to invest the time required to change due to shifts in strategies, markets, cultures, leaders, solutions, systems, people, or organizational structures.
Especially in the context of a large company, change can evoke emotions that range from delight to outright fear. Similar to the importance of preparing soil for good growing conditions, how you prepare for organizational change will have a direct impact on the conditions for good performance during change.
Whenever the status quo is at risk, employees often worry about how the change will affect them and whether or not they will be able to be successful in the new environment.
Five Essentials to Prepare for Organizational Change
Executive teams typically make extensive investments in setting their company’s strategic direction, but place relatively little emphasis on how to handle the transition from the old way to the new way. This lack of emphasis on how to implement change from a people perspective often creates confusion, anxiety, misalignment, and decreased performance.
We believe it is the job of leaders to help lead teams through change in the smoothest way possible.
At a minimum, be forthright about these top three change components: The vision for change, the urgency to change, and the business case for change.
Do not underestimate the past.
The Bottom Line
You may not always know when a change is in the works, but when it happens you are far from helpless. While there may be much beyond your control, many aspects of implementing change can be anticipated and influenced. Begin change management by being prepared and actively involving your key stakeholders as soon as possible.
To learn more about how to prepare for organizational change, download The 5 Ways Leaders Should Look at Change from the Start
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