Engaging with change

Introduction to change management

Change is always happening in all areas of our lives. The workplace is no exception. Depending how ready we are for change we will take the steps necessary to make changes we think we should or that which is suggested to us or imposed on us. If we are not ready for change we may going along with it a superficial level at best but we really aren’t going to follow through.

There is a classic model on the stages of change by Prochaska & DiClemente. It basically supports the notion that people on change when they are ready but have to go through some stages of change to really integrate it into various areas of their lives – simply put “the fruit is more easily picked when it is ripe”

In counselling settings this applies to individuals, couples or families and in organisations this generally applies to employees when organisational change is instigated by management; usually for economic reasons.

Often management will say to employees they will be consulted about prosed changes or that they will have a say in the change process. Employees often feel that this is really a token offer and change will be imposed on them anyway.

Suggestions for management

I would say to management to make employees an integral part of the change process and to take some risks. Engage a skilled consultant to help establish forums and structures such as change management steering groups, focus groups and implementation groups. It is essential this is done to with the establishment and maintaining proper boundaries to reflect organisational structures, roles and related authority.

Suggestions for employees

I would say to employees to try to put aside cynicism and take the offer of consultation at face value and to engage with it. Done collectively through workplace teams and / or trade unions can give this a more structured approach.

My services in relation to change management

Through McCashney Consulting I can advise management how to engage staff and structure such groups in a representative way so as to reflect existing structures and/or to reflect possible newly emerging organisational structures.

I can also work with employee groups to empower them to engage meaningfully with the change process.