From time to time, every leader has to deliver news that is hard for employees to hear. Even when businesses are doing well, organizational and structural change is to be expected, and acquisitions, reorganizations, or policy changes can affect people’s jobs in ways that create feelings of fear, anger, or sorrow. Each employee wonders, “How will this change affect me?” or assumes, “Oh, this won’t be good! How am I going to get my work done?”
How to Tell Your Team That Organizational Change Is Coming
Prepare what you’ll say, and personalize it for each audience.
August 09, 2018
Summary.
From time to time, every leader has to deliver news that is hard for employees to hear. To do it well, plan for the rollout to take more time than you think is necessary. Equip all levels of management to explain the context, so that no one is caught flat-footed. Describe how the new solution alleviates an organizational pain point. Make sure you can discuss how the change will affect people on an individual level; people’s first reaction is often to ask, “How will this change things for me?” Give the affected people as many options and as much participation as you can. And avoid the urge to say that it’s hard for you to deliver this news; this often feels manipulative. Instead, demonstrate humility and responsibility.
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Change may be the only constant in today's organizations. Here's how to lead through it.
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New!
HBR Learning
Change Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Change Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Change may be the only constant in today's organizations. Here's how to lead through it.