Employers guide to change management

If change programme is vital for the growth of any company then managing the process of change is more critical. A well-planned change always considers the impact on employees. Change also has a critical impact on the wellbeing of employees. In order to manage the change effectively it is important to –
• Make sure that the area of change is ready and prepared with all the necessary resources.
• Proper communication and consultation
• Demonstrate strong leadership
• Engage employees to ensure they have easier emotional journeys
• Encourage team building
• Foster an agile culture
Before imposing a change, employer has to make use of available tools to assess whether an area is ready for change or not. Following are some tools to understand the process-
 Forcefield analysis
This implies figuring out the forces for change and the forces against the change. The tool will enable the employer to strengthen the forces for the change and turned down the forces opposing it ensuring successful implantation of change.
 SWOT
Considering strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This tool helps the employer to communicate why the change is taking place, what are the benefits it offers, the opportunities it could create for everyone. It is also useful to identify the threats and weaknesses so that these issues can be addressed.
 Stakeholder analysis
This step involves the identification of stakeholders and impact the change is likely to have on them.
Communication
One of the important components of effective change is communication. A successful communication comprises-
 Regular communication with everyone including stakeholders
 Informing people about the change and providing required support
 Platform to offer regular opportunities to share views
 Active listening
 Rapport building
 Understanding and handling different types of behavior
Support staff
Effective change management means minimizing the adverse effects of the change and providing tools and support to the employees to maintain their well-being. Different employees may have different ways of tackling change. They may be concerned about job securities and their families. The employers should make sure that communication is maintained and their questions are answered empathetically.
Adapting your management style
Studies have shown that transformational leadership is the most effective styles to use while managing change. Transformational leadership implies-
 Setting clear goals and objectives
 Focused on fairness and integrity
 Provides support and motivation
 Flexible and dynamic
 A pillar of encouragement
 Has high expectation
Importance of Training
Managing employees who are experiencing a programme of change can be a daunting task. Therefore, it is must for the company to provide additional support to the managers so that they can cope with this difficult situation. Resistance to change is not at all surprising. They may have their own valid reasons to do the same such as reluctant to lose control, find the adjustment unmanageable, lack of motivation, emotional disturbance and many more. But this resistance can be overcome by offering taring and development, building trusting relationship, giving timely feedback and encouraging positive culture.