How To Get Your Team To Take Ownership During Change [Infographic]

Living in a post-pandemic world means many organisations are experiencing a period of significant change. This results in hundreds of thousands of employees feeling the impacts across the business, whether it’s a shift in leadership, a merger or restructure, or a process update. However, worryingly, almost a third of employees don’t understand why change occurs in their workplace. 

While change may be imperative to the success of your business, you won’t get very far in your transformation without the buy-in of your team as a whole. In this article, we are looking at practical ways to encourage your team to take ownership during change and we’ll be sharing our top tips for a people-centred transition.

As change management experts, we have personally witnessed many workplace transformations and there is a common theme in all of them. No matter what industry the organisation is in, no matter how extensive the digital transformation, and no matter how large the team is, the defining factor as to whether change is successful comes down to one thing: putting your people first.

It’s for this reason that empowering your employees during change is so important. With this in mind, let’s find out how to get your team to take ownership over the change process.

Share your vision

Don’t make the mistake of expecting your team to understand the changes you are making and the reasons you are making them. Be sure to share your vision with them. Remember that often, especially in the beginning, your employees will be concerned about how the change is impacting them and complacency may cause a significant roadblock in your plans. However, if you allow your team to share your goals, you’ll find yourself nurturing change champions who will drive your transformation on your behalf. This is your opportunity to inspire your people by presenting a compelling vision for your collective future.

Communicate clearly from the beginning

During a period of change, it’s imperative to provide regular updates to give your team insight into progress. Nobody wants to be working towards something while worrying their efforts are not paying off. You can keep your team motivated by sharing the outcomes of their hard work in stages. This needs to involve clear communication from management along each step of the way, as well as an acknowledgement of any hiccups or setbacks throughout the change process. Not only will this keep everyone on track, but it will also give your team a clear path to follow. Your transformation is eight times more likely to be successful if you have the ability to communicate openly about the ongoing progress and success. 

Engage everyone

It may be tempting to keep only a select group of people, i.e. senior management, in the know during your transformation, however, we would advise against it. Every single person across your organisation should be not only aware of the change, but should also be on board with the change. Engaging people across all different levels of the organisation will promote synergy, allowing you to get the best outcome. While change can be difficult, it is made easier when everyone across the organisation is on the same page.

Involve your employees in planning

A simple way to keep people engaged is to bring them along for the ride and encourage their input in the planning process. Instead of telling them what to do, let them define their own KPIs and contribution. Have each team set their own goals within the transformation, while managers ensure that these fit within the overall goals of your business as a whole. 

Train your team in change management  

You can’t expect your team to excel during a period of change without any training or guidance. Our bespoke training programs and individual courses aim to address gaps in your employees’ skills and behaviour, unlocking their potential and equipping them for change. Our workshops are customised to suit the individual needs of your organisation and can be delivered in person, online, or in a hybrid format.

Want to find out more about our change management workshops? Get in touch.