Company organizational changes can be difficult to manage
I found out recently that my local Marks and Spencers (M&S) in Solihull town centre will be closing. I’m saddened by this fact, and that going into Touchwood simply won’t feel the same without it. I also know that change happens for a reason, is part of our lives and we have to get used to it even if we don’t like it or agree with it.
I started my HR career with M&S. M&S taught me about commercial considerations in business, about the importance of customers and that to remain successful, businesses must adapt and change. What it didn’t teach me but which I’ve since learned from bitter experience is how difficult it can be to manage change.
I’ve delivered lots of organizational change over the years in different companies and never fail to be surprised at the amount of planning and preparation required to deliver change successfully (achieving the outcomes you set out to achieve). This includes assessing the risks to every aspect of the business and the people affected by them. Having a structure to your change helps enormously.
If you’re looking to make some changes within your business, it’s worth looking at Ben Mulholland’s article, 8 Critical Change Management models to evolve and survive’ https://www.process.st/change-management-models/‘which provides a simple assessment and evaluation current change models. https://www.process.st/change-management-models/ Choosing the right model which suits your company and the sort of change you are expecting to make is key.
What is also important is the way in which you choose to implement the change, the people you involve and how you mark your progress through the various stages. No two change programmes are the same but here are some things from an HR perspective that I’ve learned along the way about managing people through change.
- Ensure you are change ready – have accurate management information especially in relation to contracts of employment, job descriptions, policies, processes.
- Consult with affected stakeholders – listen, manage expectations and build relevant feedback into your plans.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate – in a variety of forms. Work on the basis that however much you think you are communicating it will never be enough for some people.
- Show some empathy – Put yourself ‘in someone else’s shoes’ by seeking to understand things from their perspective and communicating that fact to them. Try to give as much energy and focus to the human side of change as to structure, systems and processes.
- Keep the momentum going – keep any delays to an absolute minimum.
- Manage the transition to new model – devote time to ensure any new ways of working are embedded and benefits are realised. This might involve recruitment, training, team building and behavioural change.
- Carry out a ‘lessons learned’ review – Learning from what we do is important to avoid repeating mistakes from the past.
If you are thinking about making some changes to your company, contact Erica Burke on 0121 217 8038 at the HR Dept Solihull. I can advise on managing change successfully in your business.
