Support for Staff
Some prerequisites for successful change implementation:
- presence of good leadership (needs to be strong, positive, receptive, consistent, etc; both formal and informal leaders need to become change champions, etc)
- good communications (it needs to be frequent, open, high quality and transparent; this sets the tone for engagement; should include feedback as it must be 2-ways, etc)
- everyone understands and accepts the reasons and content of the proposed changes (includes understanding big picture issues, etc)
- adequate resourcing (money, time, labour, expertise, etc to plan and implement change effectively; this includes adequate remuneration with appropriate recognition and rewards, etc)
- ongoing appropriate training for personal and professional development (opportunity to learn and apply new skills, etc)
- minimal procrastination when making and implementing decisions (adequate sense of urgency, etc)
- development of a suitable change framework (with appropriate techniques to help understand what is involved in the change; remember: every situation is different and unique, and what worked in the past is not guaranteed to work in the future)
- create a collaborative working environment (from planning right through to the post implementation, ie support continues even after the project is completed; encourage participation of all key stakeholders starting at the planning stage of change)
- document the change initiative (start with planning documents and record the progress, ie
"...The resulting change strategy document not only identifies the change leaders, provides the motivation for and direction of the change and produces a comprehensive communication strategy spanning the entire change path; it provides a framework in which the additional support mechanism exists. User involvement and participation is encouraged throughout the process of change and has led to greater buy-in, greater engagement and increased ownership of the change..."
Storey as quoted by Taryn Haynes-Smart, 2010
NB challenges need to be addressed when initially identified; otherwise, they can blow out to become major ones.
"... Support mechanisms......provide a means for renegotiating the terms of psychological contract so as to present the change in a mutually beneficial manner......communicating the reasons for and content of change openly and transparently is more like to create trust, buy-in and participation of employees whereas close and limited communications are more likely to alienate staff and raise questions with regards to management's motives..."
Taryn Haynes-Smart, 2010
Some extra comments
If the bigger picture or vision is communicated in an engaging manner in order to build the excitement for change, there is more chance of buy-in. Otherwise, uncertainty, insecurity, etc dominate and fuel negative perceptions.
The chances of effective change are limited if the change agenda is tightly controlled by a minority of senior management who provide limited communications, strategic direction and clarity on what is expected and who often overlook employee well-being when implementing changes.
Providing regular feedback, especially when things are not going well, is pivotal; if not done, resistance will increase.
Change is inevitable; it is necessary for survival and growth. However, successful change is difficult to plan and implement; it provides a difficult and a stressful time for all stakeholders.
"...A high risk of failure in change remains a concern suggesting that the gap between the theories of change management and the reality of how change management is being implemented still remains relatively wide; which has a major impact on how change is perceived..."
Taryn Haynes-Smart, 2010