CHANGE PROJECTS IN COMPANIES
Change
Whether you’re aiming to make changes to your brand or systems, you first need to make sure that everyone who will be affected by this change knows what you’re doing and why.
Keep in mind that keeping companies running smoothly on these transition projects means meeting the needs of employees before, during, and after the change. It is very important to put people at the center of change.
So what does it mean to put people at the center of change? Let’s talk about that.
Remember the rule that applies to humans: The average person is a habit-driven creature and doesn’t want to change what they do routinely. So when you try to change a person’s habit, you create stress on that person. Nor can you expect normal work performance from a person under stress. That’s why it’s so important to adjust the speed and intensity of the change.
It is necessary to start by announcing the change early enough. Thus, you give your employees the opportunity to evaluate the new structure. Channels of communication need to be kept open so that questions about change can arise, people understand the impact of the difference between the current and new situation, and even make suggestions and embrace change. If you want to create a leader profile that advocates change, you must constantly remind yourself that you need to address people’s concerns.
If you think positively and are excited about the change, you need to reflect this positive attitude on your employees. Similarly, the reverse is also true; If you have concerns, this will most likely be reflected in your body language and increase employee hesitations. Therefore, focus on the positive effects of the change. I suggest you reflect your positive perspective on your environment.
The most important problem of change projects is the resistance of employees to change. The reasons for resistance can be examined under four main headings;
- The first factor is a person’s need to feel competent: If you have the confidence that you can do a job, you are the safest in the workplace. At the end of the change, if you think that your competence will not be enough, you start to resist the change. Here’s what you need to think about when changing your team’s business processes. Will your team members need to adapt to new competencies at the end of the change? Will they need to be trained to adapt? By thinking about questions such as, you can understand the reason for the resistance to change and take the necessary measures from the beginning.
- The second factor is fear of failure: For change to happen successfully, people will have to take on and fulfill some responsibilities. In the change process, activities different from the routine work are carried out. The usual activities are replaced by activities that require a more analytical or systematic perspective. Before embarking on the change process, personnel should be given this perspective. Otherwise, individuals will refrain from participating in this process with the fear of not being able to achieve the given tasks. Naturally, there will be problems in the change process.
- The third factor is the fear of extra workload. Change processes will cause new tasks to come on top of people’s normal workloads. Situations such as coming to work on the weekend or working late into the evening, while being asked to continue with the routine work of individuals, also having to work extra for the change cause the benefit of the change to be discredited.
- The fourth factor is the need for status stability: In the case of a change in the internal hierarchy of the company, people seek to determine their place in the new hierarchical structure. Changing existing positions or not knowing about new layers of hierarchical structure puts stress on the team. This, in turn, fosters resistance to change.
Now, if you are faced with a similar project, list these four items and then evaluate the individuals who will be affected one by one under these four headings.
Based on your assessment results, first, create a communication plan, then consider what kind of risks you will encounter during the change, and create risk prevention and correction plans.
I wish you success in your transformation projects.
