The very best businesses in the world always think that they can do better. In order for your business to fulfill it’s true potential, my advice is that you should have the same attitude. No matter how good you are now, simply resolve to find ways to do things even better.
Improving things means that you must make changes and change to any business must be managed. A big part of business change management involves learning to effectively manage your people. After all, they are potentially the most important part of growing a successful business!
If people are going to deliver change, they need to be on your side. This means that you must set up effective, two-way communication. Spend at least as much time finding out what they think as you do telling them what they must do. More often than not, the changes that made a difference to businesses are often the one that are suggested from the “shop floor.” They know what works well in the business and what doesn’t, so it is important that you create an atmosphere where they can speak their mind without being “knocked-back.”
Everyone within your business deserves to be treated with respect. This principle is very much the foundation for any successful team, and your organisation’s structure should reflect this, with channels of communication kept open at all times. Keep it in mind as you develop your business change management strategy. Planning is also a key part of successful leadership and business change management.
However, change management is not all about business processes. Revisit your business plan – how many admin and frontline people will be needed to help you achieve your goals and how is this likely to change in the future? The most significant cost in most businesses is employing people. The way that they are structured and what they do is the most important part of any change management process. What kind of management structure will be needed to support your people and help them work at their best?
A common mistake made by business owners is to overestimate the number of administrative people required, or to create too many layers of management. Planning allows you to avoid that mistake and ensure everyone within your business knows exactly what their role is and who is managing who. Once this is in place, it can be tested and refined to make sure it works in the real world, which includes monitoring people’s performance and letting them know where they could be doing things better.