What change is your company experiencing now? Change is constant, and the recent news about numerous layoffs, specifically in the tech sector, likely has individuals and organizations considering what the future will bring. We’ve also heard a lot of focus on the “great resignation” over the past year or so, which I have written about here. This, in my opinion is connected to employee engagement and disengagement!

How are you staying focused and engaged, or are you starting to feel disengaged? What are you doing, if you are a leader in your organization, to keep your employees engaged? And how well is the top leadership in the organization aligned? My hope is that they are aligned and communicating transparently.

Communicate Consistently

There are many ways to successfully engage in a major change in an organization, and the most important is to communicate regularly. Clearly sharing the “why” and the plan of how to move forward is critical. This communication needs to be open and honest. It is also a very important time for leaders to check in with employees (manager to direct report, and more).

Ensure Alignment Among Leadership Team

Alignment of the leadership team is a critical element for success in order to ensure all employees are seeing the same message and goals. Without that, employees will question what’s really happening and trust will likely be difficult to attain.

If your company is experiencing a layoff, it’s important to focus on the employees who are still with the organization. They are going through a very challenging time. They may be taking on additional responsibilities, shifting focus, working with different colleagues, or so many other scenarios.  

Learn What Matters to Your Employees

When I speak with leaders and HR professionals, one of the biggest challenge I hear about is how to engage your employees. And now, with many companies making major changes, it’s ever more critical to learn what matters to them! This requires conversation, curiosity, showing you truly want to know and will respond. Thinking that a “cookie cutter” approach will work for all employees is not realistic. So ask, and listen, and then deliver based on the needs you uncovered – if realistic. Those leaders and HR professionals who follow-through based on what they hear from their employees, will be more successful in positively impacting employee engagement.

Want to learn more about leading change? Curious to learn more about best ways to engage your employees? I support individuals – from emerging leaders to executives, teams, and organizations, to elevate their leadership capabilities, create more alignment, and optimize overall performance. I would welcome the opportunity to support you or your organization.  Let’s connect.

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.” – Peter Senge