Manage Change Strategically

Picture this. Your organization is without a broad, long-term strategy (or one has not been effectively communicated at all levels). Senior management makes a large-scale change affecting all employees. Employees resist this change and become unhappy. Your overall service quality drops, profits fall, and you're now dealing with turnover. It's not a pretty picture, but this is something faced by all organizations at one time or another. 

THE HILL GROUP has worked with various clients for 51 years concerning this issue, and we have found that employee satisfaction is directly correlated to two very important and very costly issues: employee retention and overall service quality. Simply put, if your employees are happy they will remain loyal to your company and their performance will be heightened. One of the biggest impacts of employee satisfaction is change in the workplace.

So how can your organization maintain a healthy satisfaction level during times of change with its most important asset: it's people? 

First, developing a strategic plan for the direction of the company is crucial. If employees understand the reason for the change, management will get more buy-in. Developing a strategic plan and communicating it to all employees allows for everyone to know where the organization is heading. The plan is designed to guide decision-making. So all decisions are made towards a specific and measurable end. It's human nature to be afraid of the unknown. Decisions should be viewed as a means to an end. If that end is not communicated, there will naturally be resistance. 

Secondly, there needs to be an understanding of why employees are averse to change. Employee opinion surveys are an excellent way to keep your finger of the proverbial pulse of your organization. Being in tune with how your employees feel and what they think will allow you to guide the change process and also allow you to develop a cohesive strategy to implement changes in a way that is beneficial to all who are affected. Additionally, employee opinion surveys provide the employees with a sense of security and ownership in their company. They see that management cares enough that they are considering what is most important when making changes. 

Thirdly, and most importantly, communication is a must. This point cannot be stressed enough - if the reason for the change is not communicated effectively, if the results of the change are not communicated or if employees cannot see a benefit then satisfaction will plummet. This is where a strategic plan is of great service. By having a broad, long-term plan that is well communicated, a company can avoid large-scale dissatisfaction because employees understand their organization's direction. 

Aviel Selkovits is the business development coordinator for THE HILL GROUP. For more information about managing change, contact Aviel at 412.722.1111 or via email at aselkovits@hillgroupinc.com.

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These materials have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not consulting advice or opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a consultant-client relationship between The Hill Group, Inc. and any recipient of this material. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional advice.