Leaders need better tools to lead teams through change: report

Employers must do a better job of providing their leaders with the necessary tools to help them lead their teams through change, according to a recent report. Overall, only 30% of employees believe their organization is nimbly resilient, and just 27% of leaders feel strongly prepared to help their people navigate change, reports O.C. Tanner.

"Organizations, especially those with large populations of frontline employees, need to work closely with their teams to create thriving workplace cultures—where all want to come, do their best work, and stay—in the face of ongoing change," said Gary Beckstrand, VP of the O.C. Tanner Institute.

One COO previously shared with HRD best practices for hybrid work success.

The lack of necessary tools persists even though employers would benefit so much from providing the tools leaders need to help workers in change management.

When leaders have the tools to help employees manage change, their own risk of burnout decreases by 73%.

Also, Employees who perceive their leaders have the tools to help them manage change are:

• 5x more likely to feel a sense of community
• 6x more likely to thrive at work
• 10x more likely to feel a strong sense of trust
• 76% less likely to experience burnout

And employees who believe their leaders are nimbly resilient are 9x more likely to think they are also nimbly resilient. This leads to higher likelihoods of engagement (+582%), feeling a strong sense of fulfillment in their work (+233%) and experiencing less burnout (–79%).

Just 27% of employees have a “healthy” relationship with their work, according to a previous report from HP.

Flexibility continues to be a concern

Flexibility is still a huge concern for workers. While people universally want flexibility for themselves, 68% feel it should also be available to every employee regardless of role, according to O.C. Tanner’s survey of more than 42,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 27 countries worldwide.

However, only about half (57%) say their culture supports flexibility in every job.

Employers have a lot of gain from offering flexibility to workers: When flexibility is equitable, there are 8x higher odds that employees want to stay another year.

Also, the odds of burnout increase 5x when employees are dissatisfied with the level of flexibility at work.

There’s “a reason for hope," said Mindi Cox, chief people and marketing officer, O.C. Tanner.

"We have a variety of crucial issues to attend to, but we're seeing conditions and calculations with promise – numbers that translate into confidence that small shifts in the way organizations manage change, build skills, act with empathy, and develop resilience can create healthier workplace cultures."

A Canon Canada official previously told HRD how it turned to puppy yoga and the philosophy of kyosei or “spirit of cooperation” to improve the workplace.

How to lead a team through change

Here are the steps that employers should follow to ensure they can navigate through change, according to Indeed:

1. Assemble a strong leadership team ahead of time.
2. Bring in outside help through mergers, acquisitions and leadership changes.
3. Reward hard-working individuals with promotions.
4. Collaborate with a leadership team to develop a thorough strategic plan, considering the inclusion of the following elements: clear short-term and long-term goals; organizational charts; timelines or expected dates of major changes; and tangible, strategic steps the company is taking.
5. Designate a spokesperson for a major change.
6. Hold a company-wide meeting to introduce the changes.
7. Educate and explain the changes to workers.
8. Consider creating a transition team to monitor team member's reactions, feelings and concerns about the changes taking place.
9. Provide resources such as referrals for counselors, extra paid time off and morale-building activities.
10. Offer encouragement and guidance to help regular operations continue during a time of change.