In an ever-evolving world where economic movements, political shifts, and technological advancements are constantly driving new trends, change is considered inevitable, in-fact one of the only certainties is change itself.
Businesses and employees who follow a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach will continue to remain collected, capitalise on opportunities, and avoid the risks that come with ignoring the idea of planning for change.
Possessing the skills to navigate change, alongside a well-structured change management process will ensure smooth transitions between shifts in your business’s micro and macro environments.
Benefits of a change-ready organisation
The ability to adapt to change will bring your business a critical advantage. A change-ready organisation will respond to disruptive changes effectively and will benefit additionally through opportunities that arise as a result of the change.
- Embracing opportunities – more often than not, change comes with opportunity. Those who are ready to respond quickly will be able to make the most of these opportunities. For example, Zoom’s success during COVID-19 was partly thanks to their rapid response to scale their infrastructure.
- Innovation – disruptive changes, especially technological ones, offer the chance to explore new approaches to old processes.
- Keeping staff engaged – most change management processes involve keeping up with industry trends. This is a great opportunity to manage staff engagement by keeping them up to date with trends from within and outside of your business environment.
Build a change-ready organisation with these skills and strategies
Preparing for change is a perpetual process, just as change is perpetual itself. Several strategies can be put in place to prepare for and manage change. These strategies are strengthened when backed by individuals with the right set of skills.
- Monitor industry trends – most change is predictable to some degree, leading indicators can bring future change to attention if you know what to look for. Staying up to date and remaining familiar with industry news, reports, and research is a best practice management strategy.
- Create contingency plans – this strategy involves creating a backup plan for different types of high-risk scenarios, such as building fires or labour shortages. Contingency plans will prepare your business for disruptive changes and will reduce the impact that the risk can have.
- Build resilience – building resilience to everyday adjustments can help prepare you for larger changes and will improve your mental agility. Being resilient is an invaluable skill that will help you respond to changes quickly and effectively.
- Practice leadership – a lack of leadership is a common shortcoming of most business’s change planning initiatives. Employees often look for a well-directed leader for support and guidance. Knowing the different types of leadership styles and which ones to implement at times of change is a crucial skill to possess for adapting to change successfully.
Ready to start managing change?
There are two key elements to building a successful change-ready organisation – implementing strategic business processes and developing the right set of personal skills. The strategies and skills highlighted in this blog are part of a much larger framework that can best be learned by investing in change management training, which will ensure the long-term adaptability of your business.
If you’d like more information or training on the skills and processes required to build a change-ready organisation, contact Jill on 1300 850 959.
