All too often founders focus solely on the business impacts of change at their companies, but overlook the effect change has on employees. It’s critical to consider how each team member will be impacted by big changes, and to craft a plan to help them both participate in the change and adapt.
Without considering team sentiment during such a change, employees feel powerless and left in the dark. These feelings turn into apathy and detachment, which ultimately can result in turnover. On the flipside, considering changes from their perspectives can turn employees into change-champions who help others get on board.
Below are five steps founders and business leaders can take to create a roadmap for organizational change. It all starts with clarity and transparency, and ends in employees championing your company’s changes.
The example we’ll use is a company that has just won a big new client, and that means the team needs to grow.
1. Know (and be able to explain to your team) what is changing and why. Then consider closely how and when to share the news.
2. Anticipate the obvious impacts and create a chart like the one below to solve the “easy” problems:
3. Go a step deeper and consider how the impacted people will feel. How will the designer who has to work from home a few days a week feel? How will the person whose workload has doubled cope? What can you do to reassure them that these are transitional accommodations, that a better solution is coming, and that you value their adaptability and commitment? Extend your chart to include the new information:
4. This is important: be honest with your team about what you know and don’t know. You don’t need all the answers; you just need to be honest. Communicate transparently and frequently.
5. Invite your team to help figure out the open issues. Include representatives from different areas and levels of your organization in completing this exercise. You can’t always include everyone in all decisions, but you can extend to the inner circle in most cases and empower employees to shape the future.
Start planning at the first signs of change, and you’ll find you have a team at your back and not against the wall. It’s critical to a smooth transition and satisfied employees. Planning for the individual impacts of change should be a part of your growth strategy and business plan from the start, and an area of focus during periods of change.
Change is rarely easy, but thoughtful change can be the difference between evolving as a team and bewildering the people that’ve carried your company this far.