Any change occurring within your organization, whether it involves deploying new technology, implementing new processes, or restructuring, will impact your people. Human resources (HR) leaders’ focus is all about people management, ensuring employees are supported, engaged, and equipped to adapt to organizational change.
We gathered input from our team of experienced change experts on best practice plays for change-focused HR leaders to successfully navigate change and transformation in their organization:
Play 1: Determine the Organization’s Readiness for Change
HR can conduct focus groups and feedback sessions to gather more in-depth insights into employee perceptions and concerns regarding upcoming changes. By actively listening to employees, HR can identify potential roadblocks and resistance to change, allowing them to tailor their approach and strategies accordingly.
Additionally, analyzing past change management efforts and their outcomes can provide valuable lessons and best practices to inform the current change initiative. Ultimately, by utilizing a combination of these tools and techniques, HR can effectively gauge the organization's readiness for change and develop targeted interventions to support a successful transition.
Play 2: Develop a Strong Communication Strategy
HR can partner with your change lead or consultant to develop a comprehensive communication strategy that ensures all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the change process. This may involve regular updates through various channels such as emails, newsletters, town hall meetings, and one-on-one discussions.
Clear and transparent two-way communication helps to alleviate fears and uncertainties, and fosters a sense of trust and collaboration among employees. By keeping everyone well-informed and involved, HR can help facilitate a smoother transition and increase the likelihood of successful change implementation.
Play 3: Identify the Change Champions
Change champions, or change agents, are social leaders and subject matter experts that can help influence and articulate the benefits of change to others in the organization. Research has shown repeatedly that establishing and leveraging an effective network of change agents is fundamental to the adoption of a change and the overall success of a project. Who should you look for to build your change agent network? Individuals with strong leadership qualities, effective communication skills, and those who are open to new ideas and ways of working will help colleagues understand and prepare for the change.
Play 4: Measure Progress and Seek Continuous Improvement
Determining key performance indicators (KPIs) early to track progress and evaluate effectiveness is crucial to a strong change management strategy. HR leaders can collect feedback from a range of stakeholders to determine how change efforts are working and pivot as necessary.
Don’t let momentum plummet at go live. It’s important for your HR team to foster a culture of continuous improvement where employees are encouraged to give feedback, lessons are learned from both successes and failures, and adjustments are welcomed and made accordingly.
By leveraging these change plays, HR leaders can effectively manage change initiatives, minimize resistance, and facilitate a smooth transition for their organization and their people. Want to learn more about building your change capacity? Visit Avaap at SHRM24 to hear how our team teaches leaders how to guide their teams through change.