In today's dynamic work environment, change is constant. Gartner reveals that large organisations undergo ten major changes annually. However, despite the frequent changes, 70 per cent of transformation initiatives fail, often because employees bear the brunt of poor change management.
Right Management’s recent survey uncovered that 100 per cent of HR leaders are seeing employees struggle with change fatigue within their business, while Gartner found that 73 per cent of change-affected employees are facing moderate to high stress levels. Unsurprisingly, 54 per cent of those impacted are seeking new jobs, having been burned by poorly managed transformations.
If businesses want their change initiatives to succeed, they need to recognise the importance of supporting their people through these turbulent times.
Too much change all at once: Employees will inevitably struggle to handle a major organisational transformation if they’re still coming to terms with the previous one. Yes, businesses are operating in a continuously VUCA world and no longer have the luxury of implementing one change at a time, but when they don’t place sufficient attention on their employees’ readiness for change, transformations fail. Burnout, sickness absence and stress all spike when organisations don’t take the necessary steps to support the mindset and capacity for change of their people.
A lack of control: When change is implemented as a top-down directive without consultation from those being affected, the likelihood of any transformation effort succeeding plummets. People faced with change want to feel a sense of agency and control, which can only be achieved when organisations encourage the input of their employees throughout the change timeline. Organisations that overlook employee collaboration during transformations face growing resistance, disengagement, and higher attrition rates.
Ongoing uncertainty: It isn’t necessarily the knowledge of an impending transformation initiative that places the most strain on employees, it’s the uncertainty around what it will entail, which often leads to a predetermined negative perception of change, with employees catastrophising and filling the gaps. When left with a mass of unanswered questions, people naturally become increasingly sceptical and discontent – resulting in a lack of buy-in and engagement across the board. Businesses who fail to respond with open and regular lines of communication with their employees are then highly unlikely to find alignment between their talent and the proposed change.
So, how can businesses support their people in moving through change? Our recent webinar examines why line managers and coaching are key components of any successful change initiative.