How do you get your employees on board with changes?
By: Serge Janssen Daalen, 30 May 2023
Those of you who have been following me for a while, or have been reading this blog, might have noticed that I talk a lot, and often, about ‘The New Way of Thinking’. But what exactly is this ‘new way of thinking’? Also known as ‘Agile Thinking’. Agile is a way of thinking and working where certain tools and software are used in an organisation, but it is also a different kind of thinking with a mindset of continuous learning and development.
How do you get your employees to participate when changes occur?
The New Leader
Your role as a leader is essential in stimulating ‘new’ thinking in your employees. Not everyone is open to changes and not everyone’s the same. It can be a challenge to get everyone on board. It is up to you to offer everyone what they need, at the right time, and encourage them to join the new way of working.
So let me give you some tips on how to get your employees on board, and maybe even get them excited about adopting the new way of working in your company.
Tips:
- Create an innovation culture – Create a culture that encourages innovation and creativity. Give your employees the space and confidence to bring up new ideas and think outside the box.
- Encourage personal growth – Offer your employees opportunities for professional development and growth. Encourage attending training courses or workshops in which they acquire new skills.
- Provide challenges and goals – Provide employees projects and goals that are challenging. With these, you will practically steer them towards ‘different thinking’ and finding new solutions. This will increase your employees’ creativity and problem solving skills.
- Leading by example – As a leader, it is important that you implement and demonstrate the ‘new way of thinking’ yourself. Show that you are open to new ideas, initiatives and that you are willing to take risks. Not mere words, but actions!
- Encourage collaboration – Encourage collaboration within and between teams. Different perspectives and ideas can lead to new ways of thinking and innovative solutions.
- Provide a safe working environment – Make sure your employees feel safe. Create an environment where mistakes are allowed. A place where a ‘mistake’ is not seen as an error, but as a learning opportunity. This includes offering freedom and space for employees to experiment with new ideas. Encourage them to think outside the box and explore alternative approaches, without fear of any negative consequences.
- Communicate the vision and purpose – This is an imperative point. If your employees do not understand the vision and purpose of the new way of thinking and working, you will lose them. Make sure that the vision and purpose is clear. Explain why you think it is important. What and how you want to achieve it. And most importantly, what is the role of your employees in this. How can they achieve this?
- Keep encouraging the desired behavior – Encouraging ‘new’ thinking is an ongoing process. Stay open to new ideas, different perspectives and shifting boundaries. Keep repeating the vision and purpose. Keep doing this until the new thinking becomes the norm within your company, for everyone. Get your employees to take personal development and growth as something natural.
Conclusion
Be careful that you don’t force anything or anyone. We are all different. Some employees might even be annoyed by ‘all these changes’. The trick is to get these employees ‘on board’ too. Offer them their space. Let them get used to the new way of thinking and working, step by step. For example, leave the supervision of a ‘doubting’ or ‘reluctant’ employee to an immediate colleague. It will enhance collaboration and feel less stressful and forced. Give everyone space to be who they are. That way, everyone will be happy and everyone will eventually reap the benefits of the new thinking and working.
Feel free to contact us if you would like to know more about Agile Thinking and Agile Service Management how Spiresolutions can support you?
SpireSolutions – Digital Transformation Made Easy