What are some changes taking place in organizations

Change is a constant in business, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. For many employees, organizational change can bring about stress and anxiety, which affects their job performance. In order for businesses to successfully make large-scale changes to remain competitive, they need to anticipate the types of reactions their employees may have so that they can reassure them and help them focus on the success of the business.

One of the most instinctual reactions to change is resistance. It’s normal for employees to not want to try a new process or learn a new role. Organizational changes often mean employees have new managers or team members, or may be working in a completely new area of the business with a focus that’s not familiar to them. As a result, they may want things to remain the same.

Harvard Business Review notes that almost one third of employees who experience organizational change don’t actually know why the change is happening. If businesses don’t share their vision for the organizational change and the benefits to the company, employees don’t have a real understanding of how the change will affect them. This leads to the initial resistance they feel when learning about oncoming organizational change.

Human reactions to change in the workplace include fear for their job security. Organizational change can include downsizing or rightsizing. Going through a merger or acquisition process may also mean that there are redundant roles within the company. Employees going through this kind of organizational change are scared of losing their jobs. Getting laid off is traumatic and means that the employee will not know what their career future looks like.

In many cases of organizational change, leaders may not have all the answers employees need to alleviate their fears. According to Harvard Business Review, it’s vital to be candid and honest with your team. If there is a possibility that the organizational change may mean some employees will be out of work, don’t say that there is no way anyone will lose their jobs. Tell employees that you’re still figuring out the details, and that you understand uncertainty is difficult to deal with. Promise them transparency and that you will follow up when you have more information.

Oftentimes employees who don’t have all of the details begin to create and spread rumors about what the future of the company looks like. They may hear segments of the change plan and fill in the details based on the information they have. While discussing these changes with colleagues, the facts may transform into rumors, which can then fuel additional anxiety and stress.

In order to get away from the company rumor mill, it’s best to communicate effectively with employees. Workplace Strategies for Mental Health suggests setting up expectations for change at the beginning of the plan. For example, when your company is beginning to implement the changes, be sure to hold a company meeting to provide details and answer questions. When employees have the details they need, they are less likely to fuel the rumors. You can offer orientations or training for the organizational change.

When employees hear the organizational changes to come, they may have moments of doubt. Some may disagree with the direction the company is going, while others may think that changes are detrimental to the work they have already done. Employees may lose faith in the company leadership during times of organizational change because they don’t fully believe in the plan.

Harvard Business Review recommends upskilling the company leadership before and during times of change so that they feel confident in steering the company. Business leaders need to excel in areas such as change management, automation, design thinking and other areas related to organizational change so that they can make the best decisions for the future of the company and instill confidence in the workforce.

Learning new work processes and systems or navigating a new area can make employees feel frustrated and tense. The addition of extra tasks or new elements they have to learn may feel like an inconvenience. This may mean they have to put in extra hours and work a few weekends all while trying to keep up with their regular workload. While the transition may be temporary, it can still bring a lot of negative feelings.

Employers may need to make accommodations for employees during times of organizational change, according to Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. This may involve adjusting targets or expectations for deliverables, with the understanding that employees need to focus on learning their new roles. In addition, it’s important for managers and business leaders to remind employees that this change is not an inconvenience, but a way for employees to learn new skills and succeed in other areas of the business.

While stress can be a normal reaction to change in the workplace, it’s important for employers to remember that many employees also welcome change. Depending on the employee’s personality and experience within the company, they may be up for a new challenge and enthusiastic about what is to come. They may have gone through a previous organizational change with positive results for their career.

Businesses should tap into this excitement and help spread the message. They can ask employees who are eager to see the organizational change to act as change ambassadors or internal champions and help reassure those who have negative feelings. When employees see their peers welcoming the change, they may be more likely to willingly participate and work towards the new organizational norm.

In addition to negative and positive feelings towards organizational change, there may be some employees who are on a middle ground. While they may have some reservations for what is to come, they may also be willing to be open-minded about the new organizational structure. These employees know that while organizational changes can be scary, there can also have positive outcomes like promotions and new skills.

Harvard Business Review recommends involving employees in the change management plan as much as possible. This can help them not only understand the change, but also take ownership of it. This is especially helpful for those employees who are on the fence. Ways to involve employees may include asking for feedback about specific aspects of the organizational change, holding frequent town hall style meetings and getting subject matter experts to help build the change management plan.

In order to have more positive reactions from employees, communication is key. Harvard Business Review recommends building a narrative for the change, and connecting all messages to that framework. This consistency in messaging helps reassure employees and provides stability during a time of upheaval. It’s also key to tell employees how the change will benefit them specifically. By understanding the advantages and how it relates to their role, employees may be more welcoming to the idea of change.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health suggests also celebrating the successes of the pre-change organization. Sometimes, the messaging around upcoming change can diminish all the work that was done prior. This can make long-standing employees feel rejected or demoralized. It’s vital to recognize the accomplishments of the organization thus far and connect them to the future changes. This will help employees feel excitement rather than resentment towards the organizational change.

Being open to change is an important part of running a business. Your target audience may have a new challenge they are navigating, or the market may shift direction and focus on a new process. To survive and keep ahead of the competition, your business will be required to make major changes from time to time. While these changes can help you take market share, they can also have a stressful effect on your employees. It's essential to understand the different types of changes your business goes through, the way it affects your team, and how you can ease the transition for them.

There are several types of changes in the workplace, and each kind affects your employees differently. Having a change management plan helps teams get used to change and navigate it effectively. However, according to the WhatFix website, you need to understand the type of change you're dealing with first before you develop a change management strategy.

The major types of changes in the workplace include:

• Large-scale, companywide change: As the name suggests, this kind of change affects every department's employees. According to WalkMe, this kind of change occurs when long-held company policies or structures stop working. As a result, businesses need to restructure every aspect to compete with the current market.
• Transformational change: This is a significant change that is taken strategically and typically targets a specific aspect of the business but affects the entire company. For example, a business may choose to change its core values or mission, which is a transformative change that affects the whole organization going forward. Another example is the introduction of a new kind of technology that replaces a legacy system.
• Personnel change: Typically, this kind of change occurs during massive layoffs, hiring sprees, or major restructuring of departments. Changes like this can make employees feel uneasy and stressed. Changing employee policies, such as providing more vacation days, is a positive form of personnel change.
• Unplanned change: This kind of change happens when there is an unexpected event that requires a necessary plan of action. For example, there may be a massive product recall at the company that results in the CEO stepping down.
• Remedial change: Like unplanned change, this is a kind of reactionary measure that's taken to improve the status of the business. Where the company performs negatively, a remedial change can help it get out of the red and reach company goals. This may involve layoffs, a shift in focus or hiring new leadership.

In what ways has the nature of work changed? This is a good question to ask when trying to understand how your employees have been affected. In addition, it's important to look at the speed of change. The way your team reacts may also be related to how slowly or quickly your organization is developing. According to Michael Nichols, there are two types of change speeds: incremental and radical.

Incremental change is collaborative and considers your staff's views at all levels of the company. It's a strategic choice to make changes in small steps rather than all at once. Instead of restructuring all departments together, incremental change may go through one department per quarter and look at ways to optimize it.

Radical change, on the other hand, is bold and decisive. It's made at a much faster pace than incremental change and can bring sweeping changes across the organization all at once. This kind of change is only possible if the company leadership is willing to commit to making it. They must stand behind the radical change and see it through. Their confidence helps the rest of the team to get used to the change.

Trends in the nature of work in human resources management lean toward understanding how employees feel. Leadership needs to understand how company changes affect employees' mental and physical health and their performance and productivity. If you turn a blind eye to how your employees are doing, you may end up with lackluster performance and high rates of attrition and turnover. As a result, your change efforts may not be effective because your team isn't able or willing to implement them fully.

According to CBIA, significant changes at work that are not implemented effectively can seep into other sections of the employee's life. It can affect their relationship with their family and their diet and exercise routine. Plus, employees who have experienced major changes at work are more likely to smoke during their workday. Unhealthy behavior as a result of work-related stress may affect employees' ability to perform at work, which can slow productivity and decrease quality.

In addition, employees' attitudes toward work may shift if they are going through a major change. If team members don't fully understand the reason for the change, they may be less likely to embrace it or help see it through. There may be resistance to change if employees don't believe it is necessary or for the good of the organization. Feeling unsatisfied with work as a result of major changes may cause employees to seek other employment, which can leave the company without the top talent it needs to succeed.

If your organization is going through significant changes or planning on making shifts in direction, it's important to develop a change management strategy to ensure that employees have a positive experience during the transformation. This can help you keep productivity levels up during the process of change and ensure your business reduces turnover to avoid high hiring and onboarding costs.

According to MPUG, your change management strategy should include change ambassadors. These are employees at different levels of the organization who are valued and respected by their peers. Their enthusiastic support of the changes can help bring other employees on board. Plus, it's vital to share the change as a positive aspect for the company, not something that should be feared or avoided. This happens when businesses are open and honest with their employees about why they need the change and how that change can benefit the business.

The timing of the change is critical, and it depends on the type of change your business needs. Some change is better made incrementally, while other types of change require a more radical approach. Be sure to communicate the change timeline with your employees so that they know what to expect and when to expect it.

Plus, during the process of change, regardless of how quick it is, gather feedback from different levels of the organization. By making an effort to understand how the change is received by employees, you can further work on getting buy-in from your team and ensure they are satisfied in their roles. If not, your change management plan may require additional communication tactics to share the benefits of the changes you're making.