For a business to win in an unpredictable marketplace, there are eight change-management strategies to implement.
Among the key concepts to remember: Double-down on effective management.
That’s right. You can’t manage change if you can’t effectively manage your employees.
For effective management in the face of explosive changes, here are the eight best practices:
1. Learn from the past
Perspective is vital. It’s imperative to thoroughly know the history of your dilemma.
The past provides insights and clues for the present and future.
In deciding on a roadmap of strategies, you first have to know your starting point.
2. Concentrate on your employees
Your innovative processes are only as good as your employees’ performance.
You can spend millions of dollars on new software, but it’s all for naught – zilch – if your employees don’t collect the right data, enter the right information in their computers and if they don’t execute well.
You’ll get goose-egg results.
3. Teach the Principle of Contrary Action
To deal with rapid change, you and your staff must learn to think differently. Yes, creative thinking means you must think differently. That’s what is meant by thinking outside the box.
To think differently, you must first change your habits. That’s where the Principle of Contrary Action plays a role. In all activities – professionally and personally, change your routines.
For instance, it’s as simple as driving to the office. Take a different route each day. Park your car in a different parking space. If you take mass transit, sit in a different seat.
Explain the principle to your employees. Then give them autonomy and freedom to test ideas and to experiment.
Be prepared to do some fine tuning.
4. KISS
You’ve heard the acronym, “Keep it simple stupid.” KISS is also an acronym for “Keep it small and simple.”
How many times have you heard about government agencies and businesses coping with catastrophes after implementing new technologies?
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
-George Bernard Shaw
Most processes work best when they’re designed with simplicity. Simplicity is also important in the design of systems. Complexity should always be avoided.
So before installing new processes or technology, make certain your employees are fully trained and updated. Otherwise, the sheer volume and complexity they encounter will impair their ability to use it.
5. Eye of the Tiger boldness
There’s a famous dialogue in a 1982 inspirational boxing movie, Rocky III. Rocky Balboa was about to fight a bruising monster.
At the center of the ring, Clubber Lang said: “I’m going to bust you up.”
Without hesitation, Rocky Balboa responded: “Go for it.”
Likewise, be bold. You must not act in fear. Consider the acronym, FEAR: “Frantic effort to Avoid Responsibility.”
You will achieve great accomplishments by willing to create opportunities for success – especially, when you’re apprehensive.
Don’t wring your hands. Show leadership. Seize the momentum and take action.
Just like the lyrics by Survivor in that movie, have the “Eye of the Tiger.”
6. Understanding and acceptance in defeat
Everybody has failures in dealing with obstacles in business. It’s inevitable.
Understand there are three steps you must undergo along with three questions to ask yourself when dealing with defeat:
- Shock and denial – how can this be happening?
- Anger and depression – is this miserable or what?
- Understanding and acceptance – what can I do to profit from this?
Learn from your flop and move on to momentous solutions.
7. Succeed from failure
The only way to succeed after failure is to endure and be persistent.
Success from strategizing during explosive change isn’t instant. It doesn’t work that way. Keep on trying whenever you fail.
8. Collaborate
There are multiple ways for your teams to collaborate. Naturally, they need to have productive conversations and meetings.
They also must have data consistency from teamwork and sharing of data. That comes from regularly scheduled meetings.
Magic occurs in business when people break bread together. So meet over lunch each week.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are related strategies:
Strategies to Make Change Management Programs Work — Management is mostly to blame because most change-management programs crash and burn. Why? It’s up to management to hire the right people, and to invest in the right tools while inspiring employees to accept and drive change. Here’s how.
Employees Will Help You in Strategic Planning If You Use 3 Tips — Have you developed your strategy? It’s important to proceed without engaging in self doubt. But you’re concerned about involving your employees? There are three closely related basics in working with your employees to get the job done.
4 Tips to Motivate Employees When You’re Facing Adversity — Effective bosses have antennas to alert them over looming challenges. If they don’t have such an antenna, it’s important for them to develop one for multiple credibility reasons. Even the bosses of small companies can suffer from image problems externally and internally. Either one or both will adversely affect profits.
5 Quick Management Tips to Motivate Your Employees — A major quandary for managers is to bring out the best in their employees. Every manager wants to do it, but it’s not always easy. What’s the reason? Usually, it’s because employees are disengaged – disconnected from their managers and companies. Here’s how to fix it.
Profit Drivers – How and Why to Partner with Your Employees — If you want maximum profit, consider partnering with your employees. Here’s expert advice from leading financial consultant Roni Fischer.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
-George Bernard Shaw
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