Is Your Team Prepared for Change?

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Change is a normal and completely necessary part of the business world. If you want your company to continue moving forward, your organization needs to keep pace with current trends and the general business environment. Sometimes these changes are good, allowing you to expand your staff and grow your organization, and other times they’re not as pleasant, resulting in layoffs or voluntary departures of key staffers.

Regardless of the nature of the change, it’s important to make sure your employees are ready to switch course with very little notice. Even the slightest adjustments can have a huge impact on the dynamic of the team. Below are three ways to effectively prepare your staff for new beginnings.

  1. Practice Open and Honest Communication

Keeping your team in the dark about upcoming changes perpetuates the rumor mill; be honest with them from the start. Even if you’re still unsure of all the details surrounding the change, share what you do know. The impending shift will directly impact them, so they have a right to be kept in the loop. If you don’t share the news yourself, there’s a good chance they’ll hear it elsewhere, which will make them feel like they don’t matter.

  1. Explain the Impact of the Changes

People want to understand how the change will impact them directly, so take the time to explain its impact. For example, if you’re expanding and hiring to fill newly created positions, clarify what these people will be doing. Chaos will ensue if people are left in the dark to make their own assumptions. Open the lines of communication and answer all their questions.

  1. Create a Plan Together

Ease your employees into the change by allowing them to help create a transition plan. For example, if the news isn’t so great and a long-time employee who has been a central figure at your company for years has resigned, gather everyone together to devise a strategy to stay afloat. Or if you’re adding to the team, work with existing staffers to create a comprehensive training plan for the new hires.

  1. Focus on a Positive Outcome

Some people quickly embrace change, while others take a little longer to come around. Regardless of the nature of the change, help your employees see the bright side by concentrating on the positive aspects. You can’t control every transformation your company goes through, but as the leader, you set the tone for your team. If you’re willing to accept the changes and take them in stride, they’ll follow suit.

Planning to add a few new employees to your Los Angeles or Ventura County team? Contact Barrington Staffing. Our expert recruiters have experience serving a wide variety of industries, including entertainment, insurance, healthcare, social services, nonprofits, mortgage and financial, aerospace, high technology, manufacturing and distribution, utilities, advertising, construction, municipalities and more!

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