Taking Time Managing Change Is A Managers Role

In every organization, changes are constantly made, showing that change is with us, like it or not, so it’s best just to get on with it! As a skill therefore, managing change effectively is very important to make things better.

The challenge with change is to have smooth transitions from the current state to the one which is the goal, so a manager has to make the change as easily as possible, thus maintaining harmony and productivity whilst the unsteady state is in motion.

The manager’s role in managing change effectively is to explain in words, actions and deeds, why this change is essential for short and long-term benefits and to start their thinking about how best to bring it about, remembering that it’s the personal insecurities of employees that hold them back. It gets so personal because they do not know if any of the changes will affect their own situation, so change can often be seen as a real threat, to which the react defensively.

Change is so often unpredictable – as are the responses to it.

Managing change is sometimes not the easiest of tasks and having had good training and support from those experienced in change management really helps. You see, when responsible for change there is the tricky challenge of having to be able to clearly express new policies, processes and work ethics required of the employees and more especially, why they are important to implement. The means by which these goals are met must also be clearly outlined and explained, so for this to happen, having open and well managed channels of communication is vital.

When an organisation has more exceptional changes to make, there are even times when people may have to lose their employment. Unless the situation is handled well enough, it may result to those who remain become very demotivated. When this happens and morale dips the remaining productivity can becomes an issue, which can make matters even worse.

When this type of challenge comes along, the need for the manager to be visible becomes vital. His involvement in the change process must be felt, through constant communication and involvement at the sharp end of things. The reasons behind the need for change can – and must – be discussed openly, so that employees really understand the bigger picture and the long term benefits for all. Seeking input, initiatives and contributions from all levels will strengthen commitment and, to a certain extent, calm individual fears for the future.

Managing change requires open communication that addresses the conflicts and questions from everyone involved (even when they are on the team but the change doesn’t affect them directly). In larger organizations, it involves liaising with senior management management about how the change is progressing as well as the team below. By asking and actively involving those who are your people for their input and response, you will keep your finger on the pulse and gain valuable insights into the sense of direction into how the change is going.

The bottom line for effective managers, is that the more they recognize the value of the change and stick with it, whilst acknowledging the impacts on those who work with them, they will stand the best change of managing change to a successful, in whatever way they want to measure it.

(c) 2009 Martin Haworth. One vital job of a manager is managing change to make things better in the workplace. Regularly a manager is faced with the challenge of making his people change their habits and behaviors for the greater good and using the best change management techniques to bring about change, ensures success.