Organisational change has never been an easy or quick task to undertake, let alone achieve, and research shows that the majority of transformations fail. Due to the dynamic business environment of the 21st century, the pressure to succeed in this area has become even more urgent and complex.
Organisational change help is at hand
AL Consulting are business management consultants based near Lancaster, and we provide organisational change help to companies of all shapes, sizes, and specialities throughout the North West of England and beyond. Through our own experience and research, as well as published business studies, we know that transformations are far more likely to succeed when they focus on four key actions to change the behaviour and mindsets of both employees and managers.
The four key actions for successful organisational change
Fostering understanding and conviction
Investors in People – the standard for people management in the UK – states that successful leadership helps employees “live the organisation’s values and behaviours”. As several studies have shown, workers experience internal discomfort when their beliefs and behaviours are at odds with each other. Therefore, helping them to understand why a change is taking place is extremely important. It’s easy for management to forget that not everyone will understand why a change is occurring, and by continually reinforcing the reasoning behind and actively encouraging discussion about upcoming changes, you can inspire your staff to change their behaviour and foster positivity. If transformation leaders fail to dedicate sufficient time to ongoing communications regarding the change, there’s a high risk that employees will no longer support the company’s values and behaviours, and may even consider leaving the organisation altogether.
Reinforcement
We often talk about ‘gut instinct’, which is an instinctive feeling rather than an opinion or idea that’s based on facts. However, even our gut instinct can be subconsciously trained to respond in a positive manner when it comes to how it affects our behaviour at work. Psychologists are aware that behaviour frequently stems from reinforcement and direct association, and in a business environment, reinforcement can be affected by the different positive and negative consequences of certain types of behaviour. For example, people who work on commission are often incentivised by the promise of financial or physical rewards for working harder to sell more products.
Despite reinforcement being an important factor in changing the mindsets and behaviours of workers, many companies fail to employ it successfully. Solely offering employees financial incentives will not suffice, as not everyone is motivated by money. Research shows that giving staff purpose and the opportunity to collaborate, and subsequently recognising and celebrating their successes can help increase motivation and gain the organisation better returns while also saving money.
Role Modelling
Another way that successful business management consultants like AL Consulting provide organisational change help is by encouraging our clients to use role modelling techniques. Role modelling is both a conscious and unconscious activity. Without realising we’re doing so, we frequently copy the moods, expressions, speech patterns, emotions and behaviours of others. Consciously, we try to ‘fit in’ by aligning our behaviour and thinking with those around us in order to learn and determine what’s right and what’s wrong. Therefore, those leading and helping to deliver organisational transformations have the potential power to exert considerable influence on employees and win their support for the changes ahead.
Developing skills and talent
According to the Investors in People 2016 Employee Sentiment Poll, 22% of employees say they are unhappy in their job due to a lack of training or development opportunities. On the flip side, workers can sometimes be too confident of their existing abilities and skills, but even when they actually want to improve, a lack of self-confidence in their ability to change can hold them back. Some are resistant to change because they don’t believe that developing new skills can alter or improve a situation, e.g., people who are constantly knocked back for new jobs or promotions often give up trying.
With organisational change help from AL Consulting, you can instil a sense of control and competence in your staff, motivating them to achieve their goals, and allowing them more creative opportunities by making them feel that their additional efforts will help increase performance.
Get organisational change help by contacting AL Consulting today
If you need expert organisational change help, our team of business management consultants at AL Consulting are ready and waiting to speak with you. Call us on 01524 811900 today or complete our online contact form, and one of our business management consultants will get back to you as quickly as possible.
