Henry Ford once said: “If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always got”. This famous phrase reveals a lot about the subject of business change. Specifically that if a business owner is not willing to invest in changes to their company, you cannot expect much in return. In this post, we outline a number of ways that change can be successfully implemented in a business.
Make your team aware of changes. Get your team together and chat how the changes could affect them. Do not make the mistake of ‘keeping it all to yourself’ because this can create disruption amongst your staff. Instead, you may want to deliver a brief presentation to your staff to explain to them what to expect. This also gives you the ideal opportunity to address and reassure their concerns. Above all, ensure that your staff have takeaway actions so that they can begin to achieve your vision straight away.
Engage staff in the change process. If you feel that some staff might need to change their behaviour so that certain objectives can be achieved, address this early on. However, also ensure to ask your staff how they feel about proposed changes. Above all, remain firm that the changes being made will really drive the business forward and perhaps even use examples of other businesses that have experienced great success as a result of making changes.
Identify and remove obstacles to change. Make sure that new business strategies can be accommodated within your existing policies and procedures. If you feel there is a competent member of staff who could lead the change, give them the opportunity. Also, think about implementing a rewards system for staff that are supportive of change and support staff who are blocking its progress.
Look at strategies that have already been successful. Particularly low-cost strategies that are easy to implement and could create significant impact. Conversely, try not to commit to strategies that are overly expensive and not guaranteed to deliver. Look at what has worked previously and duplicate what went well. And learn from what didn’t.
Ensure the change process involves all your staff. Inevitably, some staff will be hesitant to change. However, the contribution of all staff is vitally important. Make sure that proposed changes will not affect day to day operations and if they might, make appropriate changes to avoid this from occurring.
Create a written report summarising all change management processes. This can be useful reference for future changes.
If you are unwilling to make changes to your business, you will not experience growth. Change is essential for any business to progress. And to maximise your chances of this, make sure to utilise the strategies outlined in this post.
