It’s worth considering how we can better manage the process of change. We can do this by:
- Acknowledging people in any business will have positive and negative responses to workplace change
- Discovering ways to cope with change ourselves and ways to help other people through change
- Focusing on workplace/ employee wellbeing at all stages of change
Managing change means managing perception
When news is announced that ‘change is on the way’ at work, or once the rumour mill starts working overtime, some of the first thoughts that enter people’s minds revolve around what they could lose as an outcome of any change:
- Am I going to lose my job?
- Will members of my team lose their jobs?
- Will I be demoted?
- How will the change impact on my future career direction?
- Will I still be able to ‘control’ my work?
- How will the purpose and meaning of my work change?
During workplace change, people can assume the change will lead to the worst possible outcome; this is called ‘catastrophising’ and for your staff the most significant potential negative outcome of change will be losing their jobs. Of course, not all workplace change leads to people losing their jobs!
But, at times of change we can fall into ‘perception traps’ and can become convinced that the worst is about to befall us. The change management process should assist us to sidestep, negative thinking traps including:
- All or nothing: People with this mindset believe ‘change is always bad’. When people take an extreme view of impending change it can be difficult to shift perceptions, it can also lead to widespread uncertainty, apprehension and disapproval among staff.
- Magnifying/minimising: People can respond to change by over-emphasising the negative/positive features of the situation while reducing the importance of positive/negative features.
- Catastrophising: When people become convinced that change will lead to a negative outcome, they can ‘catastrophise’, which means exaggerating perceived negative impacts of change. An example of this is a comment in response to change: “This new approach means that we will never be able to deliver a great service for our clients in the future.”
Building workplace resilience to navigate workplace change
We can successfully navigate workplace change by building our resilience. Resilience is the capacity to recover or ‘bounce back’ from difficulties, adversity, conflict and failure. Resilience can also refer to the ability to manage positive events including change, progress and increased responsibility Developing resilience means that we can see change in a positive light.
Resilient people navigate change by:
- Looking at things in a positive way
- Being optimistic about the future
- Accepting responsibility for their feelings and actions
- Dealing with change, pressure and stress constructively
Preparing for and navigating change
There are steps we can take to prepare for change and to improve our capacity for dealing with change:
- Learn as much as possible about the upcoming change(s)
- Make a list of what you can influence and what you can’t influence about the coming change(s)
- Act on things you can influence
- Talk to others who have gone through similar changes in their workplace to discover tips and tactics for managing this process
Sharing positive stories of change
Your workplace isn’t the first to face significant change and you have likely experienced major change initiatives at other workplaces. Many workplaces build employee wellness into their change strategies. You can share these positive stories of change with your colleagues to help minimise anxieties or concerns.
If your workplace is undergoing major change and you feel like you need support at this time, don’t forget to contact Converge International. You can reach our Employee Assist counsellors by calling 1300 687 327 anytime.
