NEW YEAR, NEW PLANS!
Hello there, Fans of Plans! Wow, 2024 is here and we are ready to go with more support to you and how to work well.
As they say, change is inevitable, and this year will be no exception. So, let’s take a look at some things we can be doing to help ourselves and others through changes in the workplace.
Sometimes, even the seemingly smallest of changes in the workplace can have dramatic ripple effects and cause unease and stress to those both directly and indirectly involved.
Here’s a few ways to help with an easier transitional change.
Plan, plan plan!
No matter how minor you think the change might be, make sure you map out exactly who might be affected by the change. Having a robust project plan, which includes stakeholder engagement, is crucial. You need to work out who needs to be involved in the change, who needs to be consulted and then who needs to know what and when. It’s also imperative to map out who is responsible for each element of the change.
Communication is key!
So many great initiatives have fallen flat because the change has not been communicated to the right people. From the start, think about your project plan AND your communication plan. Often, communication is the afterthought, and this can easily mean your project faces delays or a lack of uptake. If you have a communications professional in your company, make sure they are aware of your project in the early stages, and they can then assist with the communication plan.
Remember, you need to take people on the journey with you – why you are implementing this change, what it means for them and what they can expect the outcomes to be.
Be realistic
Make sure all aspects of your new initiative have realistic expectations – from the timeline to the budget, to the outcomes. Big ideas are great, but we don’t want to get too swept away in what could be and forget to take into consideration all the hurdles we could face on the way.
Play to your skills sets
Get people on your project team who have the knowledge and expertise to drive through your change. But also, consult the end users/those the changes will affect – they may not be part of your project team, but having a feedback forum can identify issues or improvements you may not have considered. It will also help you to get buy-in for the changes and even champions across the business to help with the buy-in to others.
And remember – if you need help with your plans... and you don’t know who to call... maybe you should call Make Me A Plan!
PS If you want to stimulate your brain outside of the workplace, check out the Philosopher-in-Residence blog – out fortnightly on Thursdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Principal Planner, Anna Pascoe. Browse the latest edition here: