Why employee engagement is the key to effective change

Change is vital to the growth and survival of your business. Whether it’s expanding to meet increasing demand or contracting to accommodate a downturn, adaption is the cornerstone of sustained business success.

Never has this been more relevant than in the current economy. With the fractious Brexit negotiations looking likely to continue for some time, the one certainty about the uncertain market future is that adaption will be necessary.

However, just as nothing is as important to the survival of your business as change, nothing has greater potential to hinder productivity, diminish morale in your workforce, and ultimately lead to total business failure.

Successful change begins with an optimistic and united staff. It is crucial to manage change in a way that engages your employees and fosters a positive collaborative environment as you move forward together.

 
Prioritise People Over Processes
Your workforce is your greatest asset and should be treated as such throughout a change process.

Before any decisions are made at management level, consider the following:

·      Do I know what my staff are thinking?
·      Will the changes threaten my headcount?
·      What does my staff think about the current organisational structure and environment?
·      How can I know if my workforce is engaged?

Engage Your Workforce

–     Provide positive messages about the benefits of the changes that are personal to your employees, such as equipment upgrades or better desk space and facilities.

–     Establish a strong team of individuals who will use their areas of expertise to deliver sincere, believable messages about the various benefits of the proposed changes, to help cement enthusiasm among the rest of the staff.

–     Ask the team to build a simple vision focused on the creative and wellbeing strategies necessary to drive service and efficiency during the changes.

–     Use surveys to ask simple, straightforward questions that allow you to collect clear, definitive data about the most important issues to address. Surveys also have the added benefit of guaranteeing absolute anonymity, so your staff will provide you with the most truthful opinions and concerns.

As a business owner, it is your job to engage with the workforce at the right time, and include them in the processes you are looking to implement. Establishing an open dialogue with staff to hear suggestions, ideas and concerns will go a long way to keeping morale and productivity high.

Rather than being a threat to business stability, well-managed change can be a fantastic opportunity to bring the workforce together and instigate an organisation-wide evolution.

This news was brought to you by Morgan Pryce, a specialist tenant acquisition agent with offices in Oxford Circus and the City. Morgan Pryce specialises in search, negotiation and project management and works exclusively for tenants.