Any change or transformation of significance will create people issues. New leaders will be asked to step up, jobs will be changed, new skills and capabilities must be developed, and people will be uncertain and will have concerns. Dealing with these issues on a reactive rather than on a proactive basis will impact the outcomes and success of the change.
Successful change does not happen by developing flamboyant change plans, engaging change resources, bringing in consultants, using tools and templates, commit financial and human resources to fulfilling the plan, and communicating the change. All these are good but not enough to achieve successful change and transformation. We should remember that people always wish for change because they know that it’s the constant thing in this world, and they will always have this deep, inner desire to improve things for their betterment and progress.
Are we oblivious to the significant waste of human capital and financial resources that come with failure of change and transformation? It’s amazing how disruption, pandemic, chaos, instability, and challenges can cause us to introspect, review, revise, our way of doing things. As soon as we saw that the pandemic was coming to an end, we went back to “Business as Usual” When will we learn and grow? When will we shift our paradigms regarding the human side of change? Every successful change that I have been part of succeeded because we took the human side of change seriously.
The statement “our employees are our most important asset” has become a cliché rather than a true demonstration of what some leaders truly believe. Employees know for certain if they are being regarded as the most important assets. When the time comes for a change to be implemented, employees are sent an email about the change and expected to get on-board and help implement the change. This is not the right way to treat people, especially the people that are your most valuable asset. By proactively engaging and supporting people in times of change, we demonstrate in action that we value them.
