An analysis of the most pressing concerns based on insights from 1,000 UK business leaders.
Author: Gemma O’Hara
Organisational change doesn’t happen without individual change
Change doesn’t happen without people, and organisational change doesn’t happen without individual change, so how do you encourage your workforce to actively support business transformation? The key is not to over-prioritise processes since these have little impact unless employees engage with them and act on them. Instead, focus on creating the desire for change.
When a key percentage of your workforce begin working in new ways, adopting new values, displaying new behaviours and adhering to new processes, this instigates the collective shift needed to make change happen. But you can’t get there by addressing the majority – you need to talk to them as individuals, which means talking to their personal needs and concerns.
Prioritising employee needs and concerns is as important as change processes
As communications practitioners, it’s your role to understand employees—to know what matters to them and what motivates them, and to use this insight to tailor messages that resonate. People want to know, what’s in it for me? What do I get from the change? Is it an opportunity or a threat? So, give them a voice and make sure it’s heard.
Internal communicators are uniquely positioned within an organisation to facilitate these essential conversations. You can start the dialogue by opening feedback channels and hosting forums. Don’t be afraid to address the hard issues head on either – change can bring loss as well as opportunity.
If their job changes, what will be the ripple effect on their lives outside of work? Will their benefits change? Will their families feel the impact? What’s more, if past change initiatives have not been a success, be open about mistakes made and lessons learned – this gives you a platform to highlight how future changes will be implemented differently.
The decision to support change is intrinsically personal. By tapping into individual fears and motivations, you have a greater chance of securing buy-in and commitment. Our team of expert change management practitioners can help.
