Assessing the impact of change focuses on what people must do differently on the job to adapt. Seasoned practitioners look broadly at what else is competing for the attention of people within the company.
Is it quarter end? Is one part of the organization restructuring? Is there a new technology being rolled out at the same time?
But experts go further. For example:
- Health threats (COVID!)
- Supporting aging parents
- Parenting responsibilities
- Community commitments
- Financial stability
What happens to people outside of work impacts their capacity to adapt to change on the job.
Inflation is weighing on the minds of many. We are all witnessing major price hikes. As people see their discretionary income dwindle and credit costs rise, how will they cope?
Brainstorming ways to save money, juggling credit card payments, skimping on meals, and counting pennies, are necessary tasks for many people that also have another cost: Less energy to invest in decision-making and learning at work.
Organizations do not exist to solve every employee problem, but leaders would be unwise to ignore the realities of life outside the office.
And since we can’t pause the juggernaut of change, we need to raise the capacity of our people to adapt. That means offering helpful resources such as Employee and Family Assistance Plans or hosting the local Credit Counselling organization for a seminar.
I want to emphasize that leaders are not responsible for solving employees’ personal issues, but they ARE responsible for demonstrating care and pointing them toward solutions.
You can earn more engagement with empathy than with a cold shoulder. Are you considering the broader impacts on your workforce’s ability to adapt to change? I can show you how.
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff Skipper
