10 Tips To Drive Effective Organizational Change

How HR leaders can help employees thrive

You’ve likely heard the saying, “The only constant in life is change.” Yet if change is the one thing in life that’s inevitable, then why is it so hard to deal with?

Change within organizations often brings a lot of unknowns—which can lead to anxiety and panic among your people.

Not knowing what will happen next can be debilitating to some. According to David Rock, this is because it can overload cognitive resources, which can:
 

HR leaders are in a great position to help their employees remain engaged in their work by helping employees navigate organizational change.

Here are 10 tips for HR leaders to drive effective change management initiatives.

Everyone copes with change and ambiguity differently. One of the best things you can do when dealing with the fear of change in the workplace is to acknowledge your own level of discomfort.

Once you acknowledge your own level of comfort, you can better recognize—and empathize with—how others deal with change. More importantly, you’ll know how you personally can overcome fears and anxieties that come with change.

Once you have a clear mindset, it’s important to understand the context behind the organizational change.

Why: Knowing the “why” decreases anxiety from the get-go. That sense of calm will trickle down throughout the change process. Help answer questions around what problems are being solved by this change—and ensure every employee understands how this change does or doesn’t impact them.

How: As you continue to communicate, be intentional about how. As the quote says, the only constant is change. Sometimes organizations communicate to employees in a way that suggests there is an end state to the change—but there will be dozens of other changes ahead. No matter how much change is ahead, it's good to communicate in a way that positions change as an ongoing, positive part of business success.

It’s easy during times of uncertainty to latch onto details that provide you some level of comfort, even if it’s false certainty. And when employees don’t have the facts, they’ll start to fill in the gaps.

When trying to reduce the fear of change in the workplace, take time to articulate what you know, and be honest about what you don’t.
 

Documenting and sharing the facts can help you distinguish reality from fiction and reduce gossip or rumors.

As you plan your communication strategy, make sure you describe how the change aligns with or impacts your organization's strategy and goals. Most of the times, it's not change for the sake of change, but because you’re aiming for something bigger. This helps change feel more strategic and meaningful.

Depending on your company size, you may have a team or a few individuals who are responsible for internal employee communication. Identify and connect with those employees to ensure that they are communicating, not only the facts to all employees, but the support you and your team can provide. This will make communication easier to handle when questions arise.

When employees have to deal with change, sometimes personally and professionally, they can feel helpless. Once you have all the details associated with the change, encourage employees to carefully read through all communication. Then, make sure you leave plenty of time and space for employees to ask clarifying questions.

Encourage your employees to write down every possible impact this change could have. While some may seem extreme or unlikely, it’s better to prepare for those things than be taken by surprise.

Managers and leaders have a great opportunity to help employees think through all the ways change can impact their teams. Maintain a high level of performance and engagement by actively participating and focusing your energy on developing appropriate behaviors to help your people leaders adapt to change.

Once you’ve shared the facts, aligned with other communication teams, and empowered your people leaders you can begin acting on the next steps. Change can and should cause employees to take action. Great managers will help them identify what those actions are.

Make sure employees understand that all organizations are dynamic. Just because a change is announced doesn’t mean things won’t evolve over time. Be prepared to go with the flow of the organization, and never hesitate to refer to previous strategies.

Managing organizational change isn't a one-time initiative, but rather a constant effort to mitigate damage and help employees feel secure. Change is inevitable, but your organization can manage it successfully.