How leaders can navigate through significant changes

Organizational changes can have an unsettling impact on employees. You can reduce the impact through thoughtful planning, effective communication, and engaging employees in exploring how changes can be implemented in a psychologically safe way.

Applying a psychological health and safety lens to change management is a worthwhile investment to support employee performance, loyalty, and buy-in for the changes.

This page outlines some strategies you can use to prepare your workers for changes in the workplace. Implementing these strategies can help employees manage difficult transitions.

Set the expectation of ongoing change with all employees...

…at onboarding, during training, and as part of regular conversation between management and employees.

Celebrate or recognize the good work that was done under the old system...

…to acknowledge past successes and show appreciation for long-standing employees.

For every change, create an honest, positive, accessible and compelling vision of the intended outcome to increase understanding and acceptance, as well as decrease the apprehension that comes from uncertainty.

Be specific about why and how the change will be implemented and be open about known challenges and concerns before the employees bring them up.

Openly discuss potential pros and cons of the proposed changes, listen to concerns and take steps to address them with input from workers, or make resources available.

Link the change to previous, similar, positive changes to reduce worker’s anxiety and reassure them that they have done this before, and they have been successful.

Break the change up into small, incremental steps.

Repeat, repeat, repeat and allow employees the opportunity to try out the change several times so that it becomes part of the day-to-day routine.

Other resources:

- Workplace Strategies for Mental Health – Helping employees to manage change
- Here to Help – Wellness Modules