If you are a company leader hoping to undertake a successful organizational change, you need to make sure your team is onboard and motivated to help make it happen. The following strategies can you help you better understand your employees’ perspectives. Start by creating audience personas that map to key employee segments in your company. Then interview individual employees in each segment to get a sample perspective on typical mindsets, and tailor your communication to match their mood. It’s also important to be as transparent as possible. While you may need to keep some facts private during a transition, the general rule is that the more informed your people are, the more they’ll be able to deal with discomfort. So, learn about your team’s specific fears, and acknowledge them openly. And make sure individuals at all levels feel included. A transformation won’t succeed without broad involvement.
I’m working with a CEO who’s in the midst of rethinking her company’s strategy so it can better meet customer demands and thrive financially. These are major changes that will affect every aspect of how the firm operates — from the services it offers to the structure of her organization.