Influential Ways to Help Your Employees Cope with Change
Change is HARD! Most people like certainty, they like the way things are and refrain from any change. One of the several hats the HR dons is to help employees cope with change.
This last year has been overwhelming considering the unforeseen events like volcanic eruptions, the cyclones, the oil leak, and most importantly, the Covid-19 pandemic. Operations, supply chain, marketing, customer interaction, sales, everything has disrupted due to Covid-19, and you are bound to hit road-blocks along the way. Furthermore, some employees may feel this change more than others.
Change and Transition
The primary goal of change management is not to eliminate all the negative feelings; that’s impossible. The goal is to reform the response of employees towards the change.
- Are you running out of ideas to help employees cope with the changes?
- Is work from home hitting your employees hard?
- Are you trying to upskill in this domain?
Well, whatever your goal may be, HR online courses can help you achieve it. Be it managing the transition or encouraging employees; HR online courses are the ideal choice. However, until you decide to pursue one, here are some powerful ways you can help your employees cope with change:-
- Prepare them BEFORE the Change
Prevention is better than cure.
When you foresee organisational changes like restructuring, reorganising, relocation, or any other change, you need to prepare the employees ahead of time, so the change does not come as a shock to them. Coping with change is cumbersome. It is so much more challenging to cope with organisational change as the workplace is the one place where employees feel safe and are not running the show. So it’s always a great idea to train them or equip them with new skills that can help them transition easily into the change.
- Reward Change Management
In organisations that are more adept at changing, a higher volume of gratitude, loyalty, and productivity can be witnessed.
This involves the managers and leaders rewarding and appreciating their people when they see them acting in better ways. According to a recent survey by Forbes, teammates who have much greater levels of goodwill spend more time thanking each other for core behaviours, including grit, dependability, and resourcefulness. HR online courses can help you help employees develop self-preservation skills and adapt to change successfully. These courses can also help you understand the main functions of HRM and the best practices as well as the scope of the domain.
- Listen and Address Pain Points Quickly
Just like companies need to address any rejections, defaults, or painful areas of their products without any delay, they also need to listen and address their employees’ pain areas. It is imperative to paint a clear picture of what they know and then address the problems and challenges that emerge as soon as employees see them, instead of hoping it gets better on its own.
The courses for HR professionals XLRI emphasise the best practices, importance, and scope of HRM and how to cope with change. These courses from XLRI allow HR professionals to build prowess in change management and other important HRM concepts. So for a well-rounded education in this domain, consider enrolling for the courses for HR professionals XLRI.
- Overshare
Constant communication is the key to managing change. Employees like to know what is happening, why it is happening, and how it is going to affect their routine. Be it the change in timings, the work from home policies or new management is coming into the picture, keep your employees up to date by maintaining constant communication.
A good rule of thumb here is “Unless you’ve been told not to tell your people; tell your people.”
Gain more knowledge about such best HR practices and the importance of change management by enrolling in reputable HR online courses.
- Embrace New Opportunities
Opportunity – The silver lining to any change in the workplace.
It is the ideal moment to add market-ready skills to your repertoire or collaborate with new team members. Change often translates into a great opportunity for those who are willing to embrace it. So help your employees embrace change by gaining a stronghold into maintaining relationships, exploring new opportunities, and coping with change. The ideal and cost-effective way to do that is by enrolling into courses for HR professionals XLRI.
- Adaption is Better than Resistance
Generally, there are two types of change management – escape change and actively coping with change. Escape change is a form of dealing that changes the behaviour to avoid thinking about uncomfortable situations or feelings. Actively coping with the change, as the name suggests, includes addressing the problem head-on. The latter approach is healthier, more effective as it allows employees to address the stress rather than suppress it. Recognising and accepting the change is the first step towards managing it.
- Introduce them to “The Neutral Zone”
The neutral zone is the time amid when the old is gone, but the new is not fully functional. It is imperative to help employees get familiarised with this zone so they can get comfortable with it and make the transition smoother. If employees are not given the time to process change and its after-effects, coming out of the transition is going to be a disaster for them and the organisation. So always allow your employees the time to process change and help them embrace change rather just commanding them to accept it.
Identification, Acceptance, Embrace
An in-depth understanding of the three stages of change management is crucial. Now you know how you can help the employees of your organisation cope with change effectively. A credible HR online course is all you need to get well-versed with the concept. One such online course that is gaining immense popularity is the HR online course from XLRI. These courses for HR professionals XLRI boast of an extensive curriculum that focuses on HRM, its basic functions and scope, and change management, which has become a crucial concept considering the dynamic work environment.