Change and uncertainty comes in lots of different forms and is something we’re used to in business and in life. The 2020 pandemic has put our stress response to the test with changes being introduced into our everyday lives on an almost weekly basis. Our stress response comes from feeling out of control and is essentially based in fear, and in business poor change management can cost you staff and customers, as declining morale impacts on work quality and productivity.
Yet change is inevitable and can come in many different forms, though in business the most common changes are:
- Restructuring
- Relocation
- New technology
- New services/products
- Staffing
While the ways we do business has changed massively, our human response to change and the uncertainty it brings remains largely unchanged.
Fight, flight, or freeze
Fight – people who react to the loss of control that change brings, either verbally or by sabotaging a project, in order to maintain the status quo.
Flight – when there’s redundancies or structural changes planned within the business they begin applying for other jobs, choosing to leave rather than be ‘pushed’.
Freeze – those people put their head in the sand and won’t engage in conversation about what is happening, and if they remain in this state, they won’t accept change and slow to act and adapt.
What influences anxiety
Childhood experiences
Family history
Physical health problems
Mental health conditions
Environmental factors
When you are looking at implementing change within a business, it is worthwhile considering what factors influence our levels of anxiety. This is key to developing a level of emotional intelligence about your team which will help you to plan and manage your change process.
Reaction stages
Shock, disorientation, denial (freeze)
Anger, fear, and emotional responses
Acceptance
Moving on and commitment
Different people will take different lengths of time to work through these stages but having an awareness of them allows us to predict the behaviour and manage it to minimise the impact.
Mindset is key
Take steps to reduce the stress response to change by taking as much time to manage it as you did crafting the plan which is creating it.
At the heart of anxiety is often poor communication, a lack of a compelling reason for change and people who don’t feel seen and heard.
Why a communication strategy is key
It reduces the rumour mill which can be really damaging and is almost always negative
It engages the staff, so they feel part of the process and keeps staff turnover to a minimum
It decreases the stress for the staff keeping absences low and morale high
But remember – different people like to be communicated to in different ways
You’ve probably heard how people like to learn via different methods – visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinaesthetic – which is why it makes sense to have more than one way of communicating with your team in times of change.
These could include:
- Regular face to face communication – CEO, teams, managers
- Technology – useful for FAQs and allowing anonymous questions to be put forward
- Staff/team forum – where a rep from each team brings any questions/rumours into a meeting with senior team leaders so they can answer them direct
- Newsletter – this can mirror the other formats with an FAQ section, a support section, CEO input and even a rumour mill page
Supporting your staff through change – what can you do as a leader/manager?
Remember how mindset is key? Having a positive attitude towards change begins with you.
Change can bring about benefits – what are the gains? How can you put the change into context?
Encourage staff to use their support network at home and at work, listen to the conversations, address any issues, and actively look for individuals who are avoiding the issue.
Where there is uncertainty, we learn more and we listen more intently, so be clear on your messaging.
Encourage staff to ask questions as this will reduce uncertainty. If there is anything you can’t answer or are unsure about, tell them that you will find out.
Develop coping mechanisms for both others and yourself. This could include encouraging people to take time for themselves or creating a buddy system within and between teams
Promote empathy within your team – some people are defined by their work, so if they lose their job it can be devastating
And finally…
If you are about to take your business through change or your team is facing uncertainty, take the time to consider if there is something else you could be doing to make this change easier for the staff.
Successful organisational change is transformational but is rarely the result of poor planning.
If you would like a link to my short webinar all about navigating change please click here
