Change is all around us. From technological innovations to cultural changes in the way we live, play and travel, our world is in constant motion. Business is moving faster than ever, paying more attention to change management is now seen as necessary to lead companies through major adjustments. But how often is fun and rapid growth considered a major adjustment? Occasionally. And that’s a problem.
Change management techniques are essential for adjusting companies to changes in the way we do business, how to adapt to business needs, or changes that can create friction among employees. However, the importance of change management in positive development situations is often overlooked. People assume that this kind of change is a positive thing that companies can take, but change is change.
Significant growth, especially in a weak economy, can cause significant pain for employees without the core elements of change management. In fact, according to McKinsey & Co, this is why change management is a critical business tool even in positive growth situations.
Rapid growth looks different for every business
Rapid growth is very defining and unique to every business and organization. For example, rapid growth in a nonprofit looks very different from rapid growth in a for-profit company; Just like a start-up is different from an established corporation. Growing 20 percent in one year may be huge for a startup company, but 2 percent growth is impressive for a veteran organization.
To understand when change management is needed in positive growth situations, you must first define what rapid growth looks like for your organization. Once it is defined and understood, respect it. Growth is a remarkable achievement that should be shared widely throughout the company. Tell employees that they feel included, recognized for their contributions, and what this means in terms of change. “How does this affect me?” Be prepared to answer that question.
Rapid growth can result in the following changes, which must be managed within the organization.
- Expand to other areas or open a new office
- To be a market leader
- Hiring more workers to meet the increased demand for products or services
- Changes in job roles to accommodate growth and new expectations
- Expanding into new customer demographics.
- Culture changes.
- Possible employee burnout
Leading people through positive change
Change management is defined as “the implementation of a structured process and a set of tools to help the public side of change achieve the desired results.” However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution or standard framework that can be replicated from business to business. It is part of the organizational behavior, and the process must be tailored to each entity based on the size, type, location and platforms available to communicate changes.
The communication aspect of the change management process is key, but as rapid growth has shown, how you message, where you message, how you share it, and in what form is unique to the organization and company culture. You are with your workforce. As with most business processes, someone must own change management and communicate a consistent message. This could be the CEO, CFO or CMO, and then delegate further within the team. The person who leads the process has to be ready to talk about the change that is happening and to help people on the journey with clearly defined objectives, accountability and responsibility to achieve the objectives set in the organization.
Finally, and especially in positive development situations where there is reason to celebrate, you should personalize the message to your teams, your leadership, and each individual who answers incoming calls or leads. The company’s most strategic decisions. The message must be relatable so that employees embrace change with you and move forward with a positive and clear vision. You want to take people along for the ride, but encourage them to be their best. Use technology, especially your current platforms, but understand that email, texts, DMs, and other digital communication methods cannot replace the face-to-face in times of rapid growth and change.
Too often companies make a big splash announcing growth and then go radio silent. Keeping people informed on the street prepares them and keeps them from getting caught by guards.
Measuring results from change management
Change creates major fluctuations in the business and can affect company culture. The impact of change is determined by the ability to regularly measure employee engagement, not just during periods of rapid growth or when something is not working.
Feedback mechanisms are essential when implementing any type of change management framework. You can use standard feedback forms and quizzes. Or you can have a casual conversation with the staff. Ask them how they are doing and how they would describe the company and its growth to their family and friends. Are they conveying to others the message you are trying to convey?
When going through periods of great growth, companies sometimes get so caught up in excitement that they often don’t realize what got them in the first place. Always take time to stop and reflect and get those growth factors moving.
