How to effectively lead employees through change

You’ve probably heard the expression “change is as good as a holiday”.

While this rings true in many aspects of our lives, change is not always necessarily a good thing. In times of financial hardship or economic crisis, sometimes change means downsizing or outsourcing.

During these times of business upheaval, many employees will begin to feel less secure in their positions. This, unfortunately, can lead to a drop in morale, productivity and loyalty.

Being a manager can be challenging even at the best of times, but change in the workplace can increase your workload exponentially. Leading others through change is an even bigger, more confronting task and may call upon all of your negotiation, conflict management and leadership skills, all of which you learn during leadership training.

Is your business is facing significant changes this year? Here are three quick tips to help you successfully lead your team through the rough times ahead.

Be open and honest

As a team leader, you may believe it is your job to protect your team from the brunt of the storm. However, attempting to hide how bad things are can actually do more harm than good.

If employees gets wind of an impending change or shake-up, their imagination may run wild, causing them to assume the worst. Being open and honest with your employees will mean they approach the situation supported by facts, rather than weighed down by fears and rumours.

Plan ahead

As a team leader, your employees will be looking to you for answers. If you can look ahead and create plans to tide the storm of change, your confidence and positivity will hopefully rub off on your team. Your response to a situation will often dictate how your team reacts, so it’s important to show you are not panicking when change occurs.

Offer training

When there is a major upheaval, it is illogical to expect your staff to assimilate and adapt without your support and development. Invest in workplace training to ensure your employees are ready to tackle the next phase in your organisation.