In this era of changing business landscapes and changing consumer habits, I think it’s best for employees at all levels to be alert and focused. In other words, from the person running the company to the newest member of the front-line production team, staying tuned to the business climate may have evolved from gaining a competitive advantage to being a crucial survival technique.

It’s my intention to blog a bit on change in the workplace. Partly because my business has been going through a fair amount of change and I’m tuned into it, and partly because I don’t see the rate of change slowing down anytime time soon.

The Need for Planning

With the current pace of change around us, I see planning as vital. This isn’t just having a plan—it’s the act of planning that holds the value. I’m a strong believer in this idea, although it’s certainly not original with me. In one of my recent columns (What Happens if You Get Hit By a Bus?) I quote the late US President and WWII Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower:

Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

This advice is not only for leadership. Granted, leaders must be ever-vigilant about market forces and what’s ahead on the horizon, but everyone benefits from the act of planning.

I would argue that people who plan tend to think more critically than those who don’t, and people who think more are better-equipped for flexibility in the face of necessary change.

I also believe it is most beneficial for a company’s leadership to talk with employees about how the need for change may be required to accomodate shifting market conditions. These conversations should be more frequent than they are rare. Reason: Most workers distain having change thrown at them with little or short notice.

Andy Parsley of Green Lion Consulting says that people embrace change—when they have a say in how it’s going to come about. Addtionally, open conversations about adapting to changing market conditions are even more effective when the conversation’s tone is one of determined commitment to success.

Such confidence and openness sets the tone for a company-wide commitment to winning. 

More coming soon on the topic of change . . . but feel free to comment below.

[Read Part II]

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