Organizations tend to spend a lot of resources and time to build a future state solution but don’t nearly invest enough to implement it.
Transformation leaders start the right way but usually get consumed by business-as-usual priorities before the initiative gets embedded into the frontline. Hence, maintaining momentum is extremely important when embedding workplace change.
Organizations should focus on early indicators of effectiveness and efficiency, allowing leaders to balance the execution with discipline to see consistent improvement.
Here are six steps you can take to embed workplace change.
Step 1 – Setting the right foundation
For successful execution, the foundation should be set by leaders to create the right environment for change. The leaders should be vocal, visible, and aligned as they play an important part in instilling belief. They need to engage the team and make the vision clearer, motivate them with their leadership qualities, and help them overcome any challenges while embedding change.
Step 2 – Creating accountability for execution
The objectives of transformation need to be placed in the organization’s performance measures. It makes everyone accountable for embedding changes and directly links them with the functions of the organization.
Execution accountability for leaders can be ensured by aligning rewards and incentive schemes, including change objectives in regular performance management processes.
Step 3 – Encouraging and supporting people
Whether it is a change of structure or technology, it can only be embedded when it is truly accepted and executed by the employees. Hence, communicating with the employees about the change is not enough. This must also be supported with digital learning, practiced in challenging environments, and reinforced with frontline coaching in stressful situations.
Step 4 – Establishing adoption
Adoption is a time-consuming, evolving process. Therefore, it is important to have the right strategy to measure the level of adoption and act in case of any issues. This progress of adoption can be tracked by leaders using an appropriate strategy, lead indicators of adoption and efficiency that can provide warning signs, and a fit-for-purpose set of metrics that enable transformation implementation measurements.
Step 5 – Ensuring frontline engagement
Balancing the normal work pressure along with embedding changes can be challenging on the frontline and it is important to develop trust and momentum at the frontline. This can be done by keeping the frontline focused on transformation goals and addressing any early warning signs.
Step 6 – Focusing on continuous improvement
Embedding a workplace change is not an easy task. While introducing it may be exciting, the real challenge is to see continuous improvement.
The criteria for success can be defined to track if the organization is moving towards its vision. Therefore, the organization should also identify areas requiring more focus to embrace momentum.