Embracing Change at Work
It is difficult for many companies to retain employees in the competitive labor market by paying competitive salaries. Companies need to find ways to engage their workforce in more creative and innovative work not to lose talent. For this reason, companies are increasingly using the idea of change to create growth in their organization and attract more talent.
Definition of change in business
In the business environment, there are several types of changes:
1. Commercial changes
These are economic changes within the company, including its structure, operations, marketing, and management.
2. Changes in organization
These are changes related to the organization itself. These changes may be due to changes in management, the establishment of new policies or procedures, organizational reorganizations, and other decision-making processes.
3. Changes in work organizations
The work itself changes: new technologies, new skills, new products, new operations, and more are commonly used in production. Changes to the workplace are done to make it more effective and efficient.
4. Changes in the workforce
Changes in a company depend on the people who work there: how to improve productivity and quality of services, changes over time (e.g., shifts or reorganizations), or stress (e.g., long hours).
5. Changes in individual
These are changes that take place only in an individual. These are changes in personal skills, attitudes, and values or even a change of personality.
6. Changes in culture
These are changes that occur within the society and its customs. This change affects how organizations, individuals, and communities interact with each other.
How a company can embrace change at work
Jonathan Osler San Francisco offers the following recommendations to maximize the value of change and to provide an environment in which employees are more flexible and creative:
1. Train employees with new skills (it creates greater flexibility).
2. Engage workers in a process that values openness and creativity (it creates a culture of innovation and flexibility).
3. Enable people to work on their ideas.
4. Give workers the freedom to manage their careers.
5. Remove barriers between departments or teams.
6. Make it easier for employees to navigate internal networks.
7. Help people to develop goals and career paths.
Importance Of Change in Workplace
Jonathan Osler San Francisco insists that change is necessary for a company to adapt to the changes in the business environment, competition, and clients’ needs. In addition, change can be part of the company’s strategy. If it does not respond to changes in its environment, a company may not exist for long. The following are some ways that companies can embrace change at work:
1. Create a culture that encourages innovation and creativity
A company must change to adapt to the needs of its clients, which may be very different from those it had when it was first set up. A company that used to sell TVs now sells watches or mobile phones, while a company that sold white goods now sells electrical appliances.
2. Encourage employees to think outside the box
The box is a metaphor for ideas that are not new and are difficult to change or redesign to adapt to the market environment. However, some people do not accept outdated or ancient ideas. This can lead to a situation in which new ideas are not considered.
3. Enable people to shift the framework of their work
It applies to a single person and can also be to groups of employees. A person goes through different stages of development and needs to challenge their mental framework with varying types of work. These stages include learning, exploring, experimenting, and executing. Each stage has specific tasks you need to adapt to, new materials that need to be studied, or other things that may be required.
4. Help employees to get clear directions
Every employee needs some direction in their work. Without this, anyone can feel lost and confused about what they should do or how to do it. This is a significant problem, especially if there is a problem while working on an assigned task. When a person does not have a clear direction, they are more likely to make mistakes that may reduce the company’s efficiency and cause them to lose money or even cause financial losses.
5. Create a competitive environment
It is essential to create a competitive environment where employees are encouraged to develop the ideas and innovations that the company may apply. It is not enough to talk about new ideas or creativity and encourage employees to develop these concepts as manifested in their work.