Periods of intense
change can be difficult for everyone involved in business. From the people at
the very top of management, to the newest employee on the shop floor, change
can mean not knowing what the future has in store, and this is a big worry for
people.
Helping employees
through these periods is an important job for any business. Not only do
businesses need to continue to function through the transition, but there will
come a time when the transitional period ends, and you need to be ready to go
when that does happen.
Engage
When your business
is going through a transitional phase, it’s important to engage with your
employees and understand how it affects them. There are some great tools out
there from companies like inpulse.com that allow you to find out your employees’ thoughts and use them to
inform your actions.
No matter how
bigger change your company is going through, you need your employees to feel
happy in their environment so they can continue to give you their best work.
Demonstrate Concern
It’s no use
engaging with employees just for show, you’ve got to demonstrate that you
actually care about their concerns. Many businesses attempt to engage their
employees, but they do it in such an impersonal way that it doesn’t come across
as genuine.
The best companies
will help their employees through periods of big change by showing that they
truly care about how these changes affect them. It might take a little bit more
effort, but it will help stabilize your company through this period.
Train/ Prepare
Give people the tools they need to come out of this period of change stronger. You might be going
through a big transition period, but you’ll be surprised at how adaptable your
employees can be if you give them the right training.
You’ve got
dedicated employees who you know work hard for you, so if you can train them up
for the new realities of your business, it can be much easier than going out
and trying to find new staff with whom you have no prior relationship.
Fix Problems
One of the ways you
can demonstrate concern is by making changes that are going to improve your
employees’ lives through this transition. They don’t need to be huge problems
that you fix; you just need to demonstrate that you’re doing your best to help
people through this transition.
If it’s something
you have the power to change, and it’s something the vast majority of your
employees are asking for, then make efforts to enact it. You may find when you
engage with your employees, they have some very good ideas that can improve the
business.
Positivity
Staying positive and upbeat has an amazing effect on your team. You might be going
through a difficult transition period, but if you can stay positive and keep an
eye on the future, then you’re going to be in a stronger position when things
settle down.
Of course, you have
to balance this with being honest and responsible, but a positive message goes
a long way to helping people through difficult situations.
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