In:News

5 KEYS TO SUPPORTING CHANGE

Agence Puck 28 June 2022

A rebranding, a change of shareholder or a takeover regularly affect the life and image of companies. For its business and its employees, a company needs to retain a clear image. These changes require a rapid transition and, if possible, turning this constraint into an opportunity.

In such cases, the teams in charge of change often come up against a degree of inertia, or even active or passive resistance. A lack of understanding of the challenges or opportunities, and fear of the unknown or of losing one's bearings, inevitably create resistance.

Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity for visibility and mindshare, the company then spends a lot of energy pushing through a change that sometimes takes months to apply and only distorts its image, both internally and externally.

In such a situation, the transition message needs careful preparation. Choose the positioning of the new entity in its market to show everyone the opportunity this change represents.

Next, the teams must be supported through this move, as they will be the ambassadors for what is new.

There are 5 fundamental keys to managing this change better.

1 – Prepare well

Based on the findings and objectives of the change, the action plan must be prepared by identifying the resources, tools, people to relay it and a reasonable timetable.

2 – Involve

You have to rely on relays within the company: managerial ones to pass on the information, and operational ones to monitor the change and its application.

3 – Win support

In any change, there is real and psychological resistance.
A lack of interest in a development, a lack of enthusiasm for a brand's evolution, fear of the unknown. A lack of communication and information creates doubt and can give the impression that each employee, in their personality or role, is being diluted in a new organisation.
Winning support means identifying the obstacles and, above all, motivating teams around a shared ambition with simple, clear and transparent messages. That's why the case for change must be carefully built.

4 – Make it operational

Implement the change policy by relying on relays.
Beyond the rebranding tools, this requires creating tools and messages for the relays (presentations, training, to-do lists, etc.).
The relays will be responsible for spreading the word and getting people involved.
The rebranding tools will be implemented at a chosen pace. It's very important to allow a sufficient but not too long period to create an impact, and to bear in mind that change overnight is impossible.

5 – Check that the change has happened

Change can only really be confirmed by evidence. It should be validated, for example with a photo report, especially if the company has several sites, and remember that, as always, the devil is in the detail, so be precise!