In order to stay ahead of new technological and economic developments, companies need to embrace change. According to research and advisory company Gartner, the average business has undertaken five major organizational changes in the past three years. A further 75 percent of those companies expect to pursue additional change initiatives in the coming three years.

Organizational change is typically pursued because it’s believed the transition will enable a business to operate at a higher level—becoming more efficient, productive, innovative, and profitable.

1. Have a Plan

Change is essential for businesses to grow, expand, and thrive. However, change for change’s sake is foolhardy, disruptive, and likely inefficient. Planning for change is a key step. A business plan needs to spell out objectives, markets, and a mission, and how these things are about to change. A change management plan needs to clearly articulate the areas of the business that are to be affected and the impact on customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and employees.

2. Set the Goal

Employees will work better with concrete goals that are achievable (though they can simultaneously be aspirational). Workers need to be able to see the roles they play in achieving the new goals and what it will mean for them, their coworkers, their unit, and the organization once the goals are achieved.

It is important to be able to articulate to employees where the company is now and where leadership sees it in the future. Leaders should also be able to articulate why the company needs to change and where it needs to be, whether due to shifting market forces, new opportunities, financial issues, or a new strategic approach.

3. Defining the Change

Change is often not fully articulated at the beginning of a change management process. Due to the iterative nature of change, it may be necessary to not just define the change at the outset, but redefine the change at various steps along the way. Updates should be provided frequently to mitigate rumors, answer questions, and provide reassurance. The faster change is happening, or if it begins to accelerate, the more frequent updates should be.

4. Stay connected to previous co-workers. 

Never forget about the people you’ve already had the chance to work with because they could become extremely beneficial to you down the road. If they are staying with your previous group or moving around, you could tap them to help you on a project. They could also become your lifeline back to your previous group or a different group within your company (or at another company).

5. Communicate with others to learn your new role. 

After you get moved into your new role, you should quickly find all of the stakeholders that you rely on and connect with them. Find those that have already been in your role and get them to teach you everything you need to know so you can get up to speed. Become good at asking questions because the more you know, the better equipped you will be in this role and the easier your life will be. If you wait too long to reach out to them, your performance will start lacking and people will notice.

6. Be optimistic even though you might not be currently happy.

Regardless of whether you like your new role or not, you need to make the best of it. Who knows what a year or more in this role can really do for you. You might also move again soon after starting. Think about the tasks you like in your current role and how to best use your strengths and increase your performance.

7. Address health and safety issues

When people will be sharing desks, you may need to purchase new furniture to accommodate everyone’s needs, such as height-adjustable desks and chairs, as well as adjustable monitor stands or mounts. Suncorp found that it was helpful to train employees in advance on appropriate etiquette for desk sharing to ensure a sanitary environment, such as not eating at their desk and leaving it clean for the next person’s use.

8. Implement changes week-by-week

With a plan for implementing workplace change agreed upon, that plan was communicated to those involved and implemented week by week. 

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