All signs point to continuing change in 2022, and it’s time to embrace it as the new normal. Adaptability is a cornerstone of success, and understanding the difference between surviving and thriving is fundamental to empowering your employees to greet change with enthusiasm.

Change management

Traditionally, employee change management is designed to decrease resistance and increase adoption regardless of how employees view the change. It relies heavily on documentation, timelines, and directives to ensure compliance. But this approach to employee change management may invite opposition from employees who feel disconnected from decisions and decision makers, especially when this burdens them with abrupt demands. Reducing the noise that frequently accompanies broad changes, including endless documentation requirements and rigid compliance measures, is a solid first step for encouraging employees to embrace change rather than wonder how they will suffer through it.

Leadership and management training is pivotal to easing the burden change can place on employees. Consider these basic questions before piling on the change “management” tasks:

• Are you overwhelming your employees with change management information they don’t need?

• Which of your success metrics are useful — and which are redundant?

• Are task assignments necessary or merely a reflection of how you’ve always done things?

• Is your change management strategy more stressful to your employees than the change itself?

Side-stepping survival mode

Reducing change-related employee anxiety is a primary function of company leadership. Transparency and relevant information keep employees from speculating and spinning worst-case scenarios about what comes next. Share both the certainties and possibilities of an upcoming change with your employees, give regular progress reports, and emphasize their opportunities.

When confronted with significant change, people have a tendency to kick into survival mode — especially when their control over the situation is limited. But change initiatives require employee cooperation, investment, and performance training to achieve optimal success. Leadership and manager training around change can encourage employee engagement by emphasizing the opportunities for your organization and your employees to thrive.

Managing change as a constant is an intimidating concept, especially after the chaos of the past few years, but intentional and positive leadership will encourage your employees to embrace change for good. Consider these ideas for inspiring your employees to embrace change:

• Bring your team onboard. Make sure everyone knows and understands the basics. Share what is happening, the reasons for the change, and how it will benefit everyone involved. Be willing to listen to input, answer questions, and address concerns.

• Keep everyone informed. Meetings, casual conversations, memos, newsletters, or a dedicated online forum are effective communication methods for keeping employees informed. Encourage reciprocal communication, and evaluate the general mood, response, and any underlying anxiety, so you can address problems promptly with positive reinforcement.

• Be ready for resistance. Everyone responds to new situations differently. Some employees will need additional support to work through their change-related anxiety and instinctive resistance. It’s essential to acknowledge and validate their concerns, practice transparency, and focus on the positives.

• Consider another perspective. An objective outside perspective can help leaders and employees navigate and embrace change. A thought partner who consults on employee performance and manager training is a valuable resource for employee change management and helping your organization change its approach to change.

Embracing change

Imagine your employees — once resistant and reluctant to change — transformed into a flexible, dynamic workforce that welcomes change as both a challenge and an opportunity. What are the hallmarks of a successful change-oriented organization?

First, it is resilient. Whether change is planned or the result of sudden disruption, your employees can adapt and adjust. Change-oriented organizations are people-centered and focused on meeting the needs — and optimizing the experiences — of their employees and customers. They challenge “old ways” of doing business by driving innovation and encouraging creative collaboration. Change-oriented companies create a dynamic company culture, which inspires stability, increases retention, and welcomes chances to set and achieve new goals. Finally, these dynamic organizations nurture employee learning and development, value their health and wellbeing, and celebrate their individual achievements alongside those of the company.

Embracing the new world of work is about embracing change as a constant and learning to evaluate evolving situations for the opportunities they present.

For a thought partner to help your company change for good, contact fitch-consulting.com.