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Recognizing
Symptoms of
Transition
Common Emotional Reactions of Survivors To
Downsizing
Fear, insecurity and uncertainty - from layoff
Frustration, resentment and anger - are common
emotions
Sadness, depression and guilt - survivors may mask
depression and sadness
Unfairness, betrayal and distrust – blaming
management and others
Coping Methods Employed By The Survivors
-
Some are unhealthy for the individuals and the organization.
-
Reduced risk taking, rigid posture –
reluctant to take on new tasks and initiatives
Lowered productivity – survivors may be
preoccupied with seeking information
A unending need for information – rumors,
gossip, are informal ways to get information
Blaming – each level may blame the above
level
Denial – the higher up in the organization
the stronger the denial may be
Symptoms That Persist & Intensify
If intervention does not take place,
survivors’ symptoms persist and can intensify
Increase in fatigue and depression – occurs
with loss of hope, when change continues
Stronger sense of control loss – many workers
hang on
Heightened and more focused anger – more
intense blaming and scapegoat behavior
Assisting
Employees
To
Adapt
And
Thrive
In
Transitional
Times
- Be fair
- Be visible and available
- Use interactive feedback
- Elicit solutions to problems from employees
- Reinforce the need for the change
- Encourage a collaborative attitude
- Admit when you lack information
- Clarify new roles and relationships
- Prepare and support employees
- Be prepared for the grieving process, it always occurs
- Identify the workers that are experiencing losses and the specific
losses
- Appreciate the meaning of the loss for the employee
- Recognize that employees resist the fear of the unknown, the
losses, the endings, and the inadequacies that accompany major changes
- Understand employees person experience fear and anxiety from
increased work loads and higher performance expectation
- Understand that losses may involve the severing of a relationship
with trusted co-workers and loss of a level of comfort and familiarity
- Employees examine personal issues: potential geographical
transfer, loss of a home, personal friendship, status in the community
- Engage in open and emphatic communication during the entire change
process
- Listen closely, carefully and intently to the distress the worker
feels
- Be aware that some workers may suppress their emotions
- Identify and acknowledge the feelings of employees, and allow them
to communicate these feelings
- Compensate the employees for their losses, such as offer training
and education classes to gain new skills, or outplacement services
Can
Your
Small
Business
Afford
Financial
Losses
Associated
With
Poorly
Managed
Change?
- Many small businesses experience major financial losses before,
during, and after major change events and initiatives.
- A 10-!5% drop in employee productivity typically occurs within a
6-18 month period when a major change occurs.
Let’s look at a hypothetical situation regarding a 10
employee organization:
- Assume an average $15/hour wage rate and that one hour per work
day is lost due to major change.
- 10 employees @ $15 per hour @ 1 hour per day = $150 per day
- $150/day x 5 days/week = $750 per week
- $750 x 4 weeks = $3,000 per month
- $3,000/month x 6 months = $18,000 in financial loss! Your
organization is weakened rather than strengthened!
Examining
Your
Responses
To
Change
Choose a recent "change" at your
organization and answer the following questions:
- How are you handling this change in the workplace?
- Is this change having a positive or negative affect on you?
- What reasons do you have to support this change?
- What reasons do you have to resist this change?
- Do you feel you are currently resisting this change in any manner?
- If yes, how are you resisting this change?
- If yes, why are you resisting this change?
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