Managing Change Without Overwhelming Employees

The pandemic has created massive upheaval in our personal and professional lives. Stress levels are high, employees are burning out, and turnover is at an all-time high. It’s become crucial for many companies to make significant organizational and operational changes, but change is difficult. Asking employees who are already hanging on by a thread to overhaul the way they do things is often an unpopular proposition. So how can you ask burned-out employees to change? The key is in how the changes are communicated. First, consider how the change needs to be implemented, and start by sharing the big picture. Immediately follow that up with short-term goals or steps that are presented in easy-to-digest chunks—this way each employee can direct their attention onto the nearest milestone. This tactical approach will help employees understand why the change is being made and how that change will develop. As new steps are added, they should be linked to previous steps and establish a clear timeline. When change is managed with these procedures in place, employees will feel more agency and will be less likely to become overwhelmed.