Lead the Change...Helping Firms Manage Change

Helping firms manage change is a major issue for HR managers.  In today’s corporate world where employees leave unexpectedly, customers demand new, more effective products and the continued focus on automation all put added pressure on the organization as a whole and the HR department in particular. 

Faced with situations like these, good HR managers need to focus on certain aspects of their organization such as the corporate culture, employee attitudes and skills, company strategy and structure as well as new technology. 

Here are a few tips on how to be a change agent:

• Once you have become aware of a need to change, start by creating a sense of urgency.  Involve all the affected departments and diagnose the problems jointly. 
• Create a guiding coalition of influential people, who work together as a team to act as visionaries and implementers.
• Develop a shared vision by involving employees involved in the organization intended future direction. 
• Communicate the vision with all those who will be directly and indirectly affected by the change.  The best way do this is by keeping the message simple, i.e., eliminating jargon and using multiple channels such as meetings, formal and informal interaction etc. 
• Lead by example – make sure your behavior and decisions are consistent with the vision you promote.
• Change at any level can be difficult therefore it is critical to help employees adjust to the change.  This may include training, time to adjust to new responsibilities and opportunities to give their feedback.  
• Monitor progress and adjust the vision as and when required.