Answer to Question #227962 in Management for jenni

Question

Give explanations and describe of at least five (5) strategies to influence organization members to accept mixed job-related changes (traditional work & online work) during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Answer 1

Establish a Clear Vision. Effective change leadership requires a clear vision that is shared with employees in a way that is both understandable and inspiring. The shared vision should outline what will change and what will remain the same for the organization, the team, and individuals. Beyond hearing or reading about the vision, employees need to understand it. Therefore, communicating the vision many times and in various mediums will ensure your employees have a clear understanding of the planned change and the reasons behind it.

Leverage the Change Management Timeline. Organizational change is a journey that requires a strategy before, during, and after implementation. As a leader, you can take the following steps throughout the timeline:

• Before the change: Begin to ask questions to determine employee readiness for change; surveys are one way to do this. Set and communicate employee goals that relate directly to the change initiative.
• During the change: Recognize milestones and employee actions in support of change. This is a great way to keep change efforts alive. During meetings, emphasize items that have been crossed off to-do lists and praise the team’s progress and continued commitment.
• After the change: Reinforce the goal of the initiative with the help of surveys or questionnaires that assess the degree to which the transformation has been successful. Use the responses to determine if further action needs to be taken.

Support Your Employees. To gain the support and commitment of your employees, try using change-management strategies to mitigate emotions like fear and resistance.

Ensure Effective Two-Way Communication. Some people need to see and hear information many times to achieve sustainable behavior change. Furthermore, the chances of change-management success are greater when employees are given a variety of opportunities to communicate with one another.

Focus on Skill Development. When your employees develop the communication, time management, and stress management skills that can help them handle change, they’ll be better equipped and will feel more confident. During times of change it may be necessary to provide change management training for both leaders and employees, as well as implement a reinforcement strategy that promotes real-time coaching and ongoing learning.