Insights

The rate of change today is very high compared to just ten years ago. Change pressure requires great adaptability, and several change initiatives often need to be implemented within the same time period. This creates inefficiency and unacceptable levels of stress and fatigue in the organisations.

One of the main reasons that some companies manage to successfully implement change after change is that they use and build upon an inherited foundation in the company in both communication and leadership. The trap of introducing new stuff when there isn’t a clear foundation can be avoided in varying degrees, depending on what your organizational foundation looks like.

A common mistake is skipping the middle manager. Often, they either lack basic knowledge about the change initiative or haven’t been given enough time to go through the personal change process themselves. This is often because middle managers aren’t seen as an important target group for change communication. A middle manager who acts as a change leader is the strongest and best communication channel to drive change.

One trap that’s pretty easy to fall into is when the change you want to make hasn’t been properly prepared. New working methods and technological solutions are being rolled out without target group analyses, general planning or a comparison of organisational cultures and structure. Avoid falling into the trap of not preparing the change and stuffing square pegs into round holes!

To remain relevant, many companies today make significant changes at different levels simultaneously. According to Gartner’s latest findings, over 80% of employees experience “cultural tensions” or competing priorities that they find difficult to balance. Therefore, it is extra important to be clear when communicating, to be present and to have an overview of the entire work situation of the staff.

You can change a lot if you manage to inspire a genuine commitment to the reasons behind making the change in the first place. In day-to-day operations, the scenes of purpose and reason effect how we perform and how we take on everyday work, and it becomes especially important when one wants to effect a change or take a developmental step. Still, the ‘why’ is too often forgotten…