How To Get Your Employees to Embrace Change

Businesses can be described as being made up of: finders, minders, and grinders. Loosely translated, this refers to the business’s principals, managers and workers. The owners and managers often see themselves as the most important people in the organisation.

In reality, it is the hard work and support of the ‘grinders’ that will be crucial part in seeing your business through the recession. For example, it is often the credit controller, an employee from the back office, who keeps a business’s doors open in tougher times when cash is hard to come by.

Most businesses are now adapting fast to changed economic circumstances.  Getting the employees of your business to embrace change so that your business can go on to beat the recession can be amongst the toughest of challenges for the business owner or manager.

Many business owners and managers make the fatal mistake of taking employees for granted and until it is too late. Often, it is only when key employees leave that the gravity of that error is realised. Generally, and in my experience, if workers are brought into the confidence of the management and told the truth about how serious the company’s problems really are and why new work practices are necessary, they will rally around the ‘company flag’. They will redouble their efforts in order to protect the company and their jobs, and this can make or break the turnaround of a business. Management often underestimate the value of the skills and fellowship that staff can accumulate over time working together as a team.  To utilise these skills completely in order to embrace change to beat the recession, it is vital that that you have the full co-operation of your co-workers.

During a recession business owners and managers sometimes find it difficult to reward the exceptional performance and co-operation of staff helping transform a business, due to cash-flow difficulties.  However, a common error of management in tough times is to forget that appreciation can be shown to employees who adapt and innovate in ways other than with pay increases or bonuses.

First, be generous with your praise for outstanding team members. If they are performing well, tell them, regularly. At staff meetings, draw attention to their achievements and thank them publicly (give praise in public, but always criticise in private).  If you happen to be talking to your employee’s spouse, be sure and mention the great job they are doing.

Secondly, be generous in the giving of your own time to the training of your staff. Often, training can be carried out in-house by senior members of the organisation and will be seen as an investment in the careers of staff members, which progressive and ambitious employees will appreciate, particularly if the recession means that pay increases are impossible.

Finally, remember that the terms and conditions of your staff members extend beyond simply their pay. Additional holidays can be awarded if the money is not there to increase basic wages and salaries. Flexible working practices and hours will be appreciated and can often go towards a better quality of life for the members of your staff. Use creativity and imagination to ensure that the effort to embrace change by everyone in your organisation is rewarded in tough times.

The stakeholders in your business

People often associate the term ‘stakeholders’ with ‘shareholders’, i.e. those who own the equity shares in the business. I view the term ‘stakeholders’ in a much broader sense. Employees have a stake in a business, or indeed any organisation, because they earn their livelihood and often their family’s livelihood from its ongoing success. They are, therefore, important stakeholders.

Implementing change in your organisation will involve all of the stakeholders.  Look to your most experienced staff members to set an example.  Lead with a sense of optimism and confidence.  Full co-operation between the principals, managers and workersshould see your business through the economic storm.