Do you remember business casual day at the office on Fridays? As unoffensive as it seems, some viewed business casual days as something that would tank in-office productivity. As it turned out, what one wore to the office didn’t really impact their ability to do their job.
Using a more recent example, remote and hybrid work brought on by the Covid pandemic also didn’t affect the work world and productivity as much as expected. People could still log on and do their work, the same as ever. Why? Because people can adapt to change when necessary. While not all changes are easy to navigate, it doesn’t have to be an impossible task, despite what many want you to believe.
In fact, there’s an entire industry dedicated to navigating these challenges, referred to as change management. Change management is a dynamic practice that supports the people-related planning, implementation, and reinforcement of new ways to work. In order to be successful, adapting to technological advancements, responding to societal shifts, and driving the need to maximize resources all require an organization to effectively manage change. Whether it’s a major change like a merger with another company or a new IT system, or a smaller-scale change such as leadership transitions, a department reorganization, or new strategic plans, any type of variation can present questions, issues, and operational challenges.
Managing these adjustments can feel like an extra step on top of the work you’re already doing to implement the change. That’s why many organizations don’t worry about change management, and go full steam ahead with whatever’s happening. While this is okay sometimes, it often leads to disorganization, stress, and unhappiness among those affected by the change—this is why having a solid change management approach is crucial to an organization’s long-term success.
Change management doesn’t have to be a daunting initiative. It can be as simple as swapping your suit jacket or skirt for jeans and a t-shirt, just like in the days of business casual Fridays. In this first blog post of our series, “Demystifying Change Management,” we want to provide three tips to help your organization more easily navigate change:
- Clearly articulate the “why” behind the change so everyone understands the bigger picture.
- Empower your team to be the architects of change. Involve your colleagues in the decision-making process and capture their insights to build a collective commitment to success.
- To avoid wading in a sea of manuals and documentation, opt for a minimum viable action plan to achieve your goals. Break down the change into digestible steps, and use a single roadmap that others can follow.
Is your organization transforming with ease? Partner with LMD to tailor a simplified change management solution that is the perfect “business casual” fit.
