The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “There is nothing permanent except change.” As a business owner, you have two choices. Firstly, you can be overwhelmed by the certainty of change, or you can plan for it. This is called change management.
If a business is going to grow, it means it needs to adapt, innovate and evolve – It needs to change.
Whenever change happens in a business, it can cause disruption. Some changes might be small and have little impact, but others cause uncertainty, decreases in productivity and emotional distress among employees.
Change management aims to mitigate the negative impacts that change can have on employees and internal processes. This is done by having a robust strategy in place that communicates clearly with all stakeholders the steps forward, especially when unplanned changes occur.
Some of the changes can be new processes, the use of new software, staff or structure changes. Another type of change specifically called transformational change, involves new product developments or service offerings as a response to changes in market trends or opportunities.
When Is Change Management Important
Some changes within a business don’t need to have an intensive strategy for decisions that have little effect on daily operations, such as switching a brand of soap used in the office bathroom to save money. However, other decisions that affect “the normal way of doing things” and the people executing these tasks require a change management process. This can, for instance, be when changes are implemented to how certain products are produced, or a new IT system is installed.
The business needs the cooperation of all the employees to ensure the success of the new changes and for that, they need to believe that the changes are for the better and disruption will be mitigated.
Why You Need Change Management In Your Business
There are many reasons why your business needs a change management strategy. Here are some popular motivations:
- It strengthens your adaptability mechanisms
- It helps mitigate risks
- It helps understand and predict changing customer needs
- It optimises business processes
- It decreases project overhead
- It increases employee engagement and satisfaction
- It encourages stakeholder buy-in
- It improves staff retention
- It builds company culture
How to Develop a Change Management Strategy
A strong change management strategy includes three vital elements:
- Communication
- Planning
- Implementation
1. Communication
Your first step is to communicate to your key stakeholders such as employees that a change will be occurring. They need to clearly understand why the change will be implemented, how it will improve the business and how it will affect them.
Since good communication is a two-way street, you will also need to listen to the stakeholders’ concerns. Ensure you understand their perspectives, regardless of whether it is only concerns or support and suggestions. You will need to spend extra time ensuring that managers or team leaders understand why the changes need to be made and how it will be done. In this way, they can help you communicate to others that the transformation is vital.
Be consistent in the message you are communicating and how frequently you provide employees with updates. Don’t be afraid to use a marketer or communication practitioner to assist you with communicating this important information.
2. Planning
Planning entails involving your workforce so you can ensure that their interests are taken to heart. Involving them in how the transitions will take place shows that you are considering how the changes will affect them. This is also a good way to reduce resistance.
Set parameters for when the implementation needs to start and end. You also need to indicate when you will measure the success of your business.
Clearly state what resources you will need during the implementation period. This can be software, capital equipment and human resources.
You need to be flexible with your planning because managing change means planning for possible bumps in the road.
3. Implement
Implementation means that whatever change is happening in the business is coming into effect. During this time, it is important to keep communicating with your stakeholders and update them on the progress of the changes.
As the business owner, you need to take the lead and show that you are holding yourself accountable for making the implementation successful. Give them a clear indication that you are committed to the results.
Empowered with this information, you can now ensure that you manage any changes that occur in your business. Remember to focus on the positive effects it will have and communicate clearly with your workers why these changes need to be made. Plan thoroughly and invest in the successful implementation.
