Emma Worseldine previously posted a blog on ‘Ever Wondered if HR in Australia is Different from here’ and how in Australia the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) has impacted on businesses with many big companies shaking off up to a quarter of their staff.
Change in organisations can occur from redundancies, restructuring, mergers, acquisitions and change of ownership or leadership. But what happens after the changes?
How do organisations move on from a massive upheaval?
For the survivors left behind there may be some short lived relief that they still have a job but then comes the uncertainty in regards to what their role will be like in a drastically changed organisation. Life as you know it has changed for everyone and organisations need to carefully consider and plan strategies for the organisation to move forward and to minimise disruption.
Vicki Daniel shares her four useful change management tips for organisations to reduce upheaval and provide support to downsizing survivors:
- Plan to change – ensuring the organisation has a very clear strategic plan which covers why the change, what will change and how the impact will be managed
- Cultural audits – companies should be aware of what makes its culture unique, what facets of the culture supports the company moving forward and what aspects of the culture needs to change
- Communicate – direct managers should provide face-to-face communication updates ensuring employees have an opportunity to provide input
- Empower leaders – leaders and managers need to be empowered with the skills to negotiate through times of change and support the employees still remaining
As change is constant it is something that an organisation may not be able to control however an organisation can control the impact and therefore the success of the change depending on the strategies that they put in place.
How does your company measure up against these suggestions in preparation for change?