It is not hard to see that in order for a business to move forward they must be willing to change. Change is not easy for some people and they will resist it at every level. But with a little openness on where the business needs to be in order to succeed and opening discussions among your workers the transition to the next level can be achieved.
Management’s Role
Management plays a large role in bringing the staff together as one unit. When everyone involved understands that these changes must occur in order to succeed the process will go smoother. This is a must for the small business owner since management is usually limited to one or two individuals.
It is important that everyone understands that in order to achieve new goals that change is needed. There are many ways to implement change in a company but the best way is to involve all employees. When an employee feels that he has an important role to play they will demonstrate a positive attitude and work hard to implement any changes that need to happen in order to achieve the goals. There is no “I” in a team and any one member refusing to accept the changes will produce detrimental results especially for the small business trying to expand.
Alleviating Fears
Change frightens many older workers. For them they feel that change means their position is threatened. This is why it is important to bring everyone forward. Acknowledging that everyone has a place in the future assures the workers that they will not be replaced. It also creates an environment that will flourish and grow with the change. Having a scheduled meeting to bring everyone on board will enhance the process.
There is also the possibility that in order to change you will have to replace workers into other areas of the business. Finding out strengths and weaknesses of each individual ahead on time will save your business. You may need to open workshops and demonstrate the new changes that need to take place in order to grow. Growth often means that many people will need to be reworked into different positions created to accommodate the change.
Accepting Change
While change is constant it can be difficult to achieve. It cannot be emphasized enough that the small business must adapt to the change as quickly as possible. Because there are a limited number of staff members any worker who cannot accept the change or refuses to adhere to the change they unfortunately will need to be replaced. A larger business can succeed even if a few fall off course simply because they have the manpower to correct any situation. Putting in place changes that are not followed by all members of the team will result in failure.
With the fast paced constantly changing markets a business that does not change can find them falling off the radar quickly. While people tend to become complacent in their positions, change is a must to bring any business to the next level.
Christina Drury is a freelance writer and knows a thing or two about change. She writes on behalf of dinaliC.com, a full-service business consulting and outsource staffing firm based out of Philadelphia, PA.