How to Embrace Change Within Your Business' "New Normal"

No matter the industry, rapid technological shifts have changed the way we do business. Decade over decade, year over year, and even month over month, communication and operational processes change to take advantage of the latest software, technical expertise, automation, and more. The cutting-edge is an ever-changing boundary, and put simply, constant change is the new normal. And, in the wake of a pandemic, this fact has only become more true with businesses today.

This new normal goes beyond surface-level changes in consumer priorities and the evolution of remote work—it requires an entire shift in mindset. The companies that excel are the ones that embrace this mindset internally and keep up with the pace of change.

Yet, shifting to this mindset is complex. Over the past 200 years, work has been relatively standard, and as a result, antiquated processes, organizational structures, infrastructure, and data technology lag far behind the rate of change that this new normal entails. Research shows that compliance alone is not enough for key stakeholders to remain motivated in this transition, a key barrier to change management. ^[1] This demonstrates the need for a dedicated change management plan to support your employees as they adapt to the new, ever-changing normal.

How to Help Employees Embrace the New Normal of Constant Change

Communicate a Compelling Vision & Lead by Example

Talk often as a group about problems that may come up as your organization digitally transforms. Let employees voice concerns, barriers, and ideas to open up dialogue and create space for the emotional responses that change often invokes. These conversations will help the team warm up to ideas, build unity, and address the very real hesitancies that may come up in the process. Try to keep explanations simple and understandable. There’s no need to sugar-coat, but don’t paint challenges as unconquerable. Finally, use multiple channels for frequent communication and weave your vision into everything the company does.

Leverage AI & IoT for More Hybrid-Friendly Work

IoT, big data, AI, and change management go hand-in-hand and their prevalence is only going to increase from here. In fact, 50% of respondents in McKinsey’s Global Survey on Artificial Intelligence reported that their companies had adopted AI in at least one business function.^[3] This means that technical proficiency is increasingly important for both employees (adapting to the job market) and organizations (capitalizing on operational efficiencies).

Take a Contact Centre, for example. Not only are hold times often exorbitant due to volatile call volumes, but customers are also often transferred from person to person, forced to repeat their inquiry from the beginning each time. Through AI, prototypes exist to enable the documentation of an entire stream of conversation, such that when a customer is transferred to a different recipient or device, that recipient has immediate context surrounding the inquiry. ^[4] AI enables seamless collaboration and communication, creating opportunities for hybrid work environments, answering the “What’s in it for me?” question of change management.

Train With Passion

Constant change can make it hard for employees to keep up with technological advancements. It isn’t viable (or acceptable) for staff to spend long hours learning something new, especially if such extensive training is required with any kind of frequency. In discussing the future of work, John Hill, CIO of Rogers Communications, said the following:

“People have to take hold of something that they’re very interested in doing and very passionate about. And I actually think the best opportunity to excel in the workplace is to take that and teach other people.” ^[5]

When employees are allowed to take their interests and run with them, their knowledge is infused with passion that they can then share with their team, spurring organizational development with ease and excitement.

Instill Ownership

Ownership often leads to greater emotional and time-based investments in a project. With the opportunity to develop skills and spearhead parts of the change management process, employees become active participants with control over (and stake in) the outcome.

Change programs with governance structures that clearly identify roles and responsibilities are 6.4x likely to succeed. ^[6] A solid governance system, through a committee or dedicated team, is important for decision-making, strategic direction, resource allocation, and accountability that will further bolster a change management plan.

As constant change becomes the new normal, it is incredibly important to provide the resources, strategy, and infrastructure for transformation beyond technical applications while keeping the wellbeing of your team in mind. Implementing these change management best practices will enable your employees to embody this new mindset with a sense of structure and stability—a practice we’re all learning as a result of the pandemic.

Contact us for a free discovery call to discuss how we can navigate this new normal together.