Don’t Just Tell Employees Organizational Changes Are Coming — Explain Why

From leadership transitions and restructurings to mergers and acquisitions, there seems to be constant change in the workforce. But surveys show that many employees don’t understand why these changes are happening. This can be detrimental for any company trying to implement change. When employees don’t understand why changes are happening, it can be a barrier to driving ownership and commitment, and even result in resistance or push back. Executives and those responsible for leading change cannot assume that employees understand the reasoning behind them. It’s important to spend time explaining the changes and why they are important. There are four key aspects to helping employees understand change, to drive commitment, and to ultimately contribute to your success: 1) Inspire people by presenting a compelling vision for the future, 2) Keep employees informed by providing regular communications, 3) Empower leaders and managers to lead through change, and 4) Find creative ways to involve employees in the change.