Change – some love it, some don’t. It is a topic that can bring about a lot of stress for many people as it involves uncertainty. But change is necessary. People, companies, and things in general need to change to continuously grow and evolve.

So what can we do about change to make it a little more manageable? Well, the answer is simple, we can manage it. 

Change management is a structured approach to implementing change in an organization. It recognizes that change can be a painful process which can have a far-reaching impact on the organization and the people who work for it.

There are four key principles of change management: Understanding, planning, communicating, and implementing.

Understanding Change

For change to be effective, you need to understand every aspect of the change. You need to understand why it needs to happen, how it will be achieved, and what role you can play to ensure the best outcome.

Planning Change

Once you understand the change that is going to happen, you can start preparing for it. Laying out a detailed plan can help you and your team prepare and get on the same page. This will make everyone feel more at ease since they will feel like they have some control over it, rather than just something that is being forced upon them.

Communicating Change

Before implementing change, make sure the entire organization is aware of what is about to take place. Even if it doesn’t affect them, it is important to bring everyone up to speed so that there are no surprises down the road.

Implementing Change

When you come to carry out your plan, you need to ensure that everyone involved knows what they’re doing. This may encompass addressing training needs, designating specific team or members for specific tasks, providing support for people across the organization, and setting specific success criteria.

Why Change Management?

How you manage change impacts the things that matter most to your organization, including your employees, your customers and your profitability. Given that organizations are facing faster and more complex changes than ever before, the reasons for change management are only growing. But more than anything, change management prepares, equips and supports employees, so they can engage, adopt and use the change successfully.

Post Change

After you’ve made certain changes within your organization, make sure that you follow up with everyone periodically. Give them an opportunity to provide their feedback. Make sure they are comfortable with the changes and provide them with support if they are not. Take a moment to see if you accomplished all your goals and evaluate if you implemented it as efficiently as possible. Since change happens constantly, use what you learn to get it done better next time.