You don’t have to be a leader or member of the management team to help others in the organization to adapt to the change and see the benefits and opportunities of what is happening.
Help others adapt to change by following these best practices steps:
- Join in the conversations. Talk with your fellow co-workers about the change initiative. When you hear them talking about the change and what’s going on in the organization – join in the conversation! When all is quiet, take the initiative and ask your co-workers what they think about what is going on. Talk about the opportunities ahead and the benefits to both the individual and the company as a whole. Always keep a positive frame of mind in your conversations. Encourage others to ask questions rather than guess at what is going on.
- Speak up! When you hear people concerned about the change because they don’t have enough information; reach out to your manager or other members of the management team and let them know. Remember, when people have information, they feel more comfortable about what is going on and it provides them with a sense of control. Correct inaccurate perceptions about the change initiative when you can, or reach out to management when you need them to do so.
- Be the “go to” person. By listening to others and their concerns and helping them to see the positive opportunity in the change that will happen; you become the “go to” person. The individual trusted to listen to others and help alleviate their fears and answer their questions. The “go to” person has informal power within the organization and becomes the key resource for those who want to discuss what is happening and understand the benefits/opportunities ahead. You can inspire others by having a positive attitude about what is going on within the organization. Help people see the “big picture.”
- Be a role model. Change happens. It sounds obvious and we all know that change is a part of life, but often we get stuck in the status quo. Help those around you recognize that good can come out of change – it all depends on how we approach it and react to it. By taking on a leadership role and being positive about change, you can help others around you adapt to the change and keep morale positive.
- Ask others to join in. When you are assigned tasks related to change initiatives, ask for help from your fellow co-workers. When people feel a part of the change process, they are more easily able to adapt to what is happening and feel more confident with the change.
- Encourage questions. Often people are hesitant to ask questions about what is happening, but undoubtedly there are many questions! If you ask questions, you encourage others to do so also. If needed, ask the questions for your co-workers.
