Editor’s Note: Strategies for Effectively Managing Organizational Change

The pandemic has already changed the way we work, in all aspects. Although change has never been easy, forced change management for organizations and that too virtually, has been really tough. How has Covid-19 changed the workplace? What does returning to work look like? Are all employees going to be returning in-person? How can HR leaders drive effective change management initiatives? This edition of HR Strategy & Planning Excellence has answers to all these questions on transformations and more!

In transformations, we talk a lot about getting rooted in the current reality. We also talk a lot about our vision of the future. But we aren’t spending enough time talking about the goo phase. Why? Perhaps because it’s ambiguous, hard to describe, and even more difficult to measure. As a result, few people realize how valuable this stage is. Check out our cover article by Bridget Stallkamp, Three Ways To Embrace The “Goo” Phase Of Change, where she discusses why it is important to talk about the goo phase of a transformation and accelerate change.

Change within organizations often brings a lot of unknowns—which can lead to anxiety and panic among your people. HR leaders are in a great position to help their employees remain engaged in their work by helping employees navigate organizational change. Read Anne Maltese’s article, 10 Tips To Drive Effective Organizational Change that talks about how HR leaders can help employees thrive.

As people are slowly returning to the office, many leaders in workplaces are wrestling with how they want employees to return. The view of employees and what they want to see in a return-to-the-office plan further complicate the issue. How can leaders strategically plan for the present and the long-term? Sue Haywood’s article, Organizational Design For The Post-Pandemic World, shares some valuable insights.

Also check out Mark Allen’s article, The Crucial Role Of HR In Change Management that offers tips on successfully reboarding employees, and Keith Kitani’s article, Best Practices For Communicating Effectively In Times Of Change that sheds light on the importance of modern, effective communications that support and enable trust and team cohesion in a diverse, distributed, and fast-paced environment.

In brief, this edition of HR Strategy & Planning Excellence offers practical tips to help navigate forced change management and fine-tune business continuity plans in today’s uncertain world.

We hope you enjoy reading all the articles and get back to us with your valuable suggestions/feedback.
 
Cheers!