"It is not the strongest or most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change." Charles Darwin
Change is nothing new to Juniper – we have been supporting our clients on implementing change programmes for nearly 20 years. However, the last 18 months have seen a radical increase in the amount of change we have had to deal with in both our professional and personal lives. Some people have gone from working in the office full-time to being furloughed, to home-working to redundancy. And now things are changing again, as we enter a new phase of restrictions lifting and hybrid working.
In terms of organisational change, whether on a large or small scale, it is important to “manage” the change. But how can we do that as leaders, particularly if we’re trying to stay on top of it ourselves?
Firstly, by understanding why the change needs to happen means we will be more inclined to manage it appropriately. Failed change programmes can negatively impact an organisation’s financial success, employee satisfaction and reputation. After all, who wants to work for or invest in a company that demonstrates a lack of ability to progress and innovate?
So, getting the change right is critical! Throughout the pandemic – a change in itself – there have been moments where we have all posed the questions “Why didn’t they tell us that?”, “How was I supposed to know?” or even “When was I consulted on that course of action?” It’s the same with organisational change – two-way communication helps to address resistance (which is a natural, primal reaction to change – designed to keep us safe long ago) before it can become an issue. Communication builds trust and allows employees to consider their fears as well as the potential benefits of the “new world”.
As we enter this next phase of the pandemic, can you ask yourself as a leader why change needs to take place and how you can communicate about it to ensure employees are brought along on the journey, whilst respecting the organisation’s culture to avoid disruption at a core level?
Thank you to Derek Howard, our long-term collaborator from The Customer, who shared this McKinsey article recently on LinkedIn, which references the role of leadership post-pandemic.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash