Organizational Change Management Strategy: Most Effective Approaches

Change management is a phenomenon which has transcended the business world since the mid 2000s.

Organizational change management strategy derives from the implementation of innovative technologies. It is therefore essential in today’s age, but companies often need guidance to execute things effectively.

When introduced without pre-planning and careful consideration, new initiatives can become disruptive forces.

We operate in volatile landscapes where it’s difficult to predict the outcome of change.

These challenges can be overcome with an effective approach to change management, which will additionally reduce the costs associated with poorly introduced change. You can further reduce liabilities by using advanced tools and techniques.

These all-encompassing costs range from lost opportunity to diminished morale, alongside the obvious financial limitations.

Companies need to evolve to remain competitive, especially when there’s a constant stream of new businesses built on modern principles.

If you want your organizational change management strategy to be effective, it should focus on the human behavior element.

To engage your staff further, you can utilize fantastic games and activities to show them change can be more fun than they realize.

It’s important to remember the importance of your team, those who will be responsible for processing change. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if it isn’t welcomed by your team it’s easy for cynicism to set in.

That’s why it’s essential you put employee well-being first, especially when it’s their attitude that determines the likelihood of success. Your team’s decision to become adopters can have a huge impact on long and short term goals.

If you’re intrigued to learn how to best go about introducing an organizational change management strategy, stay tuned for some top sources of inspiration!

Incentives

Employees are naturally wired to follow self-interest. Even when workers make a conscious effort to appease others, their subconscious will continue to trigger the ‘what’s in it for me?’ principle.

So how can you tailor your organizational change management strategy to take advantage of human nature? With incentives.

These help employees engage with change, especially when they understand the clear benefits of doing so.

Encouraging your team to embrace a new direction is half the battle, but with recognition and reward programs you can positively influence behavior.

When your team fully endorse change, they’ll take specific actions which align with the best interests of the company. Incentives reinforce specific actions, those which are most desirable to upper management.

Incentives additionally boost employee morale, while indicating how companies value their employees during difficult transitional times.

Authority

Change is sometimes introduced in a hurried fashion. This is the nature of the beast, especially when there are new technologies emerging by the week.

Though the last thing you’ll want to do is disillusion, disenfranchise, or demotivate your team, sometimes a firm hand is needed.

Exercising authority involves taking a measured approach, focusing on decreasing employee opposition. If your team opposes change, it’s advantageous if you can affirm the importance of adhering to new standards.

This doesn’t mean scare tactics are necessary, but the dangers of not changing should be communicated as necessary for survival.

When staff understand the desperation for change, the threat of losing their job will shock them into action. They’ll thus be more likely to appreciate the importance of evolving quickly or facing dire consequences.

Be careful though, with a coercive strategy there’s a fine line between preferential action and resentment.

Problematic opposition should be avoided at all costs, so remember to carefully strategize your organizational change management strategy.

Cultural Values

It’s important for your organization to embrace a continuous improvement philosophy as a core competency.

When this is promoted as a central initiative at the root of organizational strategy, change is more likely to be embraced as part of the norm.

Employees who have bought into the continuous improvement approach will be excited by the prospect of change. This excitement will breed better engagement, and boost the motivation necessary for an effective transition.

If you don’t already have a continuous improvement philosophy, you should redefine your organization’s cultural values.

As social beings we naturally want to fit with cultural norms, so we’ll be encouraged to meet the ever-evolving demands change presents.

You can influence the hearts and minds of your team to embrace change, and that way they’ll be more receptive to new processes.

If they endorse change processes, they’ll be ready for the upheaval and significant investment necessary for them to be executed effectively.

Shift the Burden

Though the burden of change is often placed on upper management, it can be shifted to staff for a smoother transition.

This doesn’t just free up time, but gives staff a change to adapt at their own speed. Staff will often oppose change, but once they overcome barriers they’re actually very quick to adapt.

Usually management face the difficult task of encouraging staff to accept radical change. The level of enticement and coercion necessary can generate more resistance, which is counterproductive.

Instead, the burden can be shifted to workers, who can find their feet and gradually embrace change.

When left in your team’s hands, they can learn for themselves the necessity to adapt to new circumstances or risk getting left in the dirt of competitors.

When staff practically engage with change initiatives, it won’t take long for them to accept change isn’t just necessary, but beneficial.

If you liked this article, you may also like:

Change Management March 28, 2024

Workplace diversity training: Effective training...

Change Management March 27, 2024

What is cultural change?