Change of any kind can be hard. There’s simply no way around it. And it’s no different in the workplace.
Yet change is sometimes necessary. For example, if outdated company policies and procedures are no longer meeting your organization’s needs today, something has to change whether your employees like it or not. Ineffective polices can act as a major impediment to your company’s success and there’s simply no excuse for keeping them around.
However, an unfortunate reality of the working world is that implementing a new company policy often causes more chaos than resolution. There will inevitably be certain team members who are reluctant to adopt new practices and resistant to the changes that are taking place.
Here are a few ways to make change easier for your staff and implement an effective new company policy:
When in Doubt, Collaborate.
Your staff will have a much easier time understanding and abiding by a new policy if they are directly involved in the revision process. Let them be a part of identifying and sourcing both the problem and the solution. Include key members of your staff in policy-creation meetings whenever possible. Collaborating will boost morale while also easing the transition into the new policy.
Communicate Clearly. Open the Floor to Questions.
When you introduce a new, unfamiliar idea into your workplace, you need to anticipate a lot of questions and concerns. Make sure that you’re always communicating as clearly as possible, as well as letting your team know that they can ask questions whenever they need to. Early and regular communication will help to smooth the transition, keep them in the know and minimize confusion and/or frustration.
Make it Accessible.
Once your new policy is ready to be presented—after having it looked over by your legal counsel— be sure to provide a printed copy for each and every employee. This gives your team the opportunity to read it carefully on their own time and keep it in their personal files for future reference. It’s also a good idea to consider putting the new policy into your employee handbook in order to make it easy for any new staff members to familiarize themselves with it immediately.
Want to learn more about implementing company policies? How about available employment positions within the Modesto area? Contact PrideStaff Modesto today for more information!