- The management group have a strategy day to discuss the future of the organisation, normally without obtaining feedback from employees
- The management group comes back and informs organisation about said change all the while employees have started the treadmill of rumours
- Employees are asked and are expected to embrace and implement changes in culture and behaviour
To ensure employee engagement and involvement in the change process, you have to enable and engage people to be a part of the change. Allowing everyone a voice is important to as well as an ability to feedback their fears, thoughts and concerns. And, remember that employees go through the change curve or transformation curve slower than the management group.
Organisations built on a traditional business model tend to have communication channels that aren’t optimal and limited ways of transmitting information through the company. What we normally say is that it’s always ok with more information, and, in an organisation that goes through major change, it’s almost impossible to communicate too much.
3 ways to engage people through the change curve
- Listen. Actively listen. Do not listen to reply. Listen to understand and get all information, also what they are not saying so that you can get a sense of where they’re at
- Communicate. More than you think is necessary, get their feedback. Ask staff what they think and feel about the changes. Amend as necessary.
- Involve your people. Allow the most engaged to become change ambassadors to drive the change from the bottom up and inside out.
Changing the way we work – free coaching
FREE 45 minute coaching sessions to help you change the way you work
Creating the new normal
How our C / A / R model can take your organisation from crisis through adaptation to recovery
Video : How to keep a positive mindset during the Corona crisis
How to keep a positive mindset during the Corona crisis
Video : We live in interesting times
Managing work and normal life under the challenge of isolation
Making culture change sustainable
How we work with you to deliver sustainable culture change – one person at a time.
Video : Culture change. For good.
How we work with you to deliver sustainable culture change – one person at a time.
Digital culture change requires a new mindset
The vast majority of executives know that they should digitise the business as much as possible and as quickly as possible. What often causes delays in the process is the focus on what it will cost, rather than looking at what it will give in profit and competitive...
Digital culture change
Last Friday I was fortunate enough to be invited along to a Digital Skills Summit at Mansion House in London. It was organised and opened by Peter Estlin, the Lord Mayor of London whose theme is ‘Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today’. Here are the key points I found...
What gets in the way of people changing?
In an ideal world behaviour change would happen like this… I know exercise is good for me Therefore, I am going for a run Wouldn’t it be great if as humans we react positively and change when we learn something that could be good for us. But, more often we know...

The challenge of sustaining change
'There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success or dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things’ Niccolo Machiavelli One of my favourite quotes as it really summarises for me the challenge of change. And, of course it is the...