Adaptability is key to the success of any organization, particularly during major internal changes. Whether it’s new leadership, a merger or just a shift in company culture, HR professionals must be prepared to guide their team through the transition.
To do this most effectively, it’s imperative to have strategies in place to support employees during what can be an uncertain time. Below, 20 members of Forbes Human Resources Council share their tried-and-true strategies on how to create a smooth transition amid major company changes.
1. Build A Space To Voice Questions
Part of helping your team absorb company changes is making sure there is a space to voice questions and concerns. Updating your team clearly and regularly reduces anxiety during a transition. It is also important to define roles, especially changing roles, so that the work continues despite the changes. – Leigh Yanocha, Knopman Marks Financial Training
2. Embrace A Caring Mindset
Leaders must be transparent with their actions and show that they are invested by embracing a caring mindset. It is about making space to have open dialogues, where team members can express, listen and share thoughts. Moreover, there should be follow-ups and follow-throughs that are consistent with messaging, as well as actions that create space to understand what opportunities await for employee and company growth. – Chandran Fernando, Matrix360 Inc.
3. Identify Opportunities For Transformation
Developing a well-defined strategy is necessary to effectively navigate the path to the desired destination. Although understanding resistance to change is integral to the practice of any leadership, change management requires teams’ operational and cultural readiness. Managing change requires strategic thinking to identify opportunities that can be transformed for the organization’s benefit. – Dr. Nara Ringrose, Cyclife Aquila Nuclear
4. Be Transparent
The one way to smooth the transition is good communication. Be transparent. Admit when it sucks—but be positive and optimistic. Don’t be too proud to let people in. If you can trust your team with critical information, they might just trust you—and the process. – Christian Møller, Zoios
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5. Involve Those Impacted
Involve people impacted by the changes in a systematic way. By engaging folks with empathy and authenticity, my experience has been that it helps bring folks along in the change and supports buy-in or adoption, even for complex or challenging changes. It’s important to build the right network of leaders to support this type of engagement and to have a system for tracking progress. – McCree Lake, Magic Leap
6. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Become the “chief repetition officer.” Once you have determined your core messaging around why the changes are happening, and what it means for your team, be prepared to repeat, repeat, repeat. Repetition is an essential tool for any leader to drive action and generate results. – Andrea Davey, Scout Talent Group
7. Maintain Open Lines Of Communication
A key strategy for a smooth transition during major company changes is fostering transparency and trust. Keep the lines of communication open both ways and share the “why” behind the changes, provide regular updates and actively seek employee input. This empowers your team to adapt more easily with confidence and ultimately reinforces trust in leadership and the company’s direction. – Neha Mirchandani, BrightPlan
8. Engage Employees Across Teams
Information and empathy are key. Our team navigated the acquisition of four companies and created a positive culture by keeping employees informed and being sensitive to their uncertainties. Tensions will be high, so leaders should be accessible and play a role in sharing information. And when you engage employees across teams, you can ease anxiety and foster a culture of safety and transparency. – Michael Held, LifeSpeak Inc.
9. Articulate Your ‘North Star’
Business is not static; change and transformation are certain. Building a team that thrives in ambiguity, is agile, adaptable and nimble is key. It’s also essential to articulate your North Star, ensuring that everyone throughout the organization understands the “why” and the “how.” Continuously communicating the goals, the vision and how we are going to get there together is essential for success. – Maria Miletic
10. Plan For The Transition
Recognizing that there will be bumps, change management starts with planning, transparency and time. Planning for and creating positive hand-off experiences, staying agile while sticking to the plan and communicating the changes in flight all go a long way in navigating the inevitable issues. Finally, establishing channels for feedback and connections empowers employees to navigate the change. – Julie Hankins, NNIT
11. Share Relevant Information Promptly
Effective leaders understand the importance of keeping their team well-informed and engaged during significant change within companies. My advice to my clients is to share as much as you can, as soon as you can. By promptly sharing relevant information, leaders can foster a sense of support and trust from employees, ultimately facilitating a smoother transition. – Valerie Rainford, Elloree Talent Strategies
12. Provide Mentorship
Giving your team members access to a mentor within the organization can help allay fears and uncertainty around changes. A trusted mentor can provide emotional support as well as practical, hands-on advice to navigate changes, making the employees feel heard and supported while preparing them for new ways of working. – Matthew Reeves, Together Software
13. Minimize The Rumor Mill
Communication is key. It is incumbent upon leaders to give their teams as much information as they can. You want to minimize the rumor mill, and you don’t want people reading tea leaves and drawing their own conclusions. While you may not be able to share it all, you do want to make sure they understand what is happening and how you will manage it. – Alba Anthony, Grey Group
14. Think About Employees Like Customers
Companies should think about employees like customers. If your organization was making a major transition for customers, someone would act as the voice of the customer, thinking about who is affected, how, what the biggest risks are and how to mitigate them. A rollout and transparent communication plan would follow to create a smooth, empathetic transition. This is the right approach for employees, too. – Michelle Delcambre, Felicis Ventures
15. Share The Strategic Plan
Create a full transparent strategic plan that is communicated to all levels. Outline what the major changes are, the timeline of the changes, how they will affect each business team and the expectations of all stakeholders before, during and after the major changes have taken place. – Evelyn Reed, HR Jawn
16. Don’t Withhold Information
Strong communication and transparency are the foundations of a smooth transition. Transitions, even the most complex ones, are best navigated when we carry employees along. At times companies make the mistake of withholding information for fear that the employees may check out. Paradoxically, employees destabilize when they start hearing rumors. Clearly communicate at each step along the way. – Vineet Gambhir, DataLink Software
17. Answer ‘Why’ And ‘What’s In It For Me’
Start with the “why” and “why now.” Be forthright about acknowledging that change is never easy. Next, be clear about the “what’s in it for me” by the stakeholder group. Third, share the planned timeline to set expectations about what to expect and when. Fourth, celebrate interim accomplishments. Finally, commit to listening to the voice of the employee for perpetual improvement. – Laci Loew, XpertHR (a division of LexisNexis Risk Solutions)
18. Develop A Resilient Workforce
A resilient workforce can help organizations thrive during times of change and adversity. Leaders can help employees by focusing on helping them develop three key resilient behaviors: activating networks to support collaboration, learning from their mistakes or failures and enabling flexibility that will help them bounce back from adversity. – Jennifer Rozon, McLean & Company
19. Offer Opportunities To Communicate With Leadership
The most critical thing to do during times of major change is to communicate intentionally and transparently. Provide outlets for employees to communicate with leadership, such as pulse surveys. Ask check-in questions during 1:1 meetings and hold open conversations about the pace and tenor of the change. – Lisa Shuster, iHire
20. Be Human
Being human is listening. Being human is understanding. Being human is empathizing. Being human is planning. Being human recognizes that change is hard. Being human is being afraid. Being human is a rollercoaster of emotions. Being mindful of that, and talking with the team directly, will allow you and the team to create a path forward past the clouds of emotion and allow for unification. – Omar Alhadi, Adobe Population Health
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