Handling Change

I’ve worked at an assortment of small companies and change happens frequently. Change rarely comes easily, and how you handle it can have a profound effect on people. Handle changes poorly and you suffer decreased morale and confusion. But do them well, and people will be aligned and proponents of the change and the organization’s mission.

Too often have I seen the process handled poorly. In one case, a manager deleted our entire blog system(over 100 blogs) because he wanted to move to Medium from WordPress. Our blog posts were a key source of inbound marketing. Yet, there was no migration of the current content.

Here are five tips to use when you implement change.

1. Understand the Ripple Effects

Beyond the overarching purpose of the change, there are often ancillary effects. With our blog deletions, Google Analytics showed us that even one year later three of our top five content items were blog posts. Unfortunately, those links returned 404 (page does not exist) instead of a redirect to a proper page.

The goal of not looking “unprofessional” by using WordPress resulted in looking incompetent with deleted content and no help for the user. Taking a bit of time to understand the impact and preparing would have yielded far greater results.

2. Equip the Message Bearers

While a broad email may announce changes, the message behind the announcement is best addressed by those closest to those affected, typically their manager. Take the time to make sure key influencers are well informed about the change and the details.

Failure to do so will yield managers sharing, “I have no idea” when queried from their direct reports. This will make it very difficult to promote support.

3. Communicate Properly

Invest the time in a round of smaller group meetings with the managers (or the entire staff if your company is small). Give people time to process the change before it occurs.

It’s important to equip people ahead of time with answers to:

• What exactly is changing
• Why the change is occurring
• The timing of the change
• Alternatives considered
• The impact for groups or individuals

4. Commit to Follow Up

Some changes are non-negotiable. Executives have the responsibility and privilege to lead. They have the right to make decisions for the best of the organization. Most times, the impact of those decisions is wide.

One way to ease stress for people about to be impacted is to commit to following up within a certain timeframe. For decisions that are flexible, you can gain valuable feedback. For decisions that are firm, it’s a chance to better understand the impact. In both cases, the employee will feel heard and more likely to be on board.

5. Tweak as Necessary

“We’ve heard you and we’re making adjustments,” is a powerful statement from senior leaders. It shows healthy lines of communication within the organization, and humility.

Feedback that goes nowhere quickly devolves into complaints. Feedback that is heard, and responded to, is a powerful fuel for motivation.

You Got This!

Before rolling out your next change for excellence, first consider how you can roll it out with excellence.