Implement changes to work practices

Peter Senge said: "Change is learning and learning is change." In life, nothing is constant except for change. If we don't change, we will be at a standstill; still wearing loincloth, communicating with signs and don't know how the rest of the world live.



The second saying by Peter Senge indicated that people don't resist change, they resist change being forced on them.

At the workplace, to implement change, planning and preparation has to be carefully considered.
There should be an action plan and communication plan.  All staff must be informed of the change.

I can still remember many years back when I was retrenched, due to company restructuring. First there were rumours that the company is downsizing; but when we asked the CEO about it, he flatly denied. Then a week later, he called me into his office, telling me that I am retrenched. The shock and anguish still haunt me today.

As a CEO, he should have displayed better leadership qualites. What he had displayed is mere power: "I have the power to fire you, you just take it."

If I were in his position, I would be more forthcoming with information.  Restructuring was already in the pipeline. Rumours was already flying around. Employee's morale were already at the lowest.
A meeting would have to be set, getting all the heads of departments to attend. During the meeting, the decision by the head office to restructure should be announced. Get suggestions from all the division heads on how best to inform the employees of the decision. And enlist help from other companies of the same industry to accept employees that will be retrenched. Most important of all, an Action Plan and Communication Plan have to be discussed and formalised after the meeting.

Directions will be given to all the Divisional Heads: let the staff know of the decision. Give them emotional support via listening to their fears, giving suggestions and helping them in assessing their present skills gap. Sometimes, there may be an employee who will volunteer to be retrenched, this can be conveyed to the Board or CEO.

Once the list of retrenched employees is out, the Divisional Head of the affected employees will talk to them. Reassure them that they will get support from the management. Let them know that they will be allowed to leave any time to go for interview and if they need a testimonial, the management will be most willing to give them.

The morale for those employees who are not retrenched will be low. The Divisional Heads will organise informal chats with them. Let them air their concerns. Show them the Action Plan: the direction that the company is going and how the existing staff will fit in. There will be changes in job scope, this has to be clearly conveyed to the employees. During this interim period, confusion, anxiety and mistrust runs high. As leaders, we will have to be patient, empathetic and helpful even more. than ever.

If we can lead the team over this crisis, I believe that the team will be more collaborative, having a shared vision and more resilient than ever.