December 4, 2024

For Business: 6 Ways To Help Your Employees Navigate Workplace Change

Woman discussing with team in a meeting.

Change can pose significant challenges to business. According to a recent Gartner survey, change fatigue is on the rise. In 2016, 74% of employees were open to change in the workplace. Today, that number has dropped to just 38%.

Here at Allsup Employee Services (AES), we help former workers with disabilities return to work. Our clients have firsthand experience managing change while dealing with their chronic illness or serious injury. Social Security’s Ticket to Work (TTW) Program provides a clear path for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to return to work. These talented workers have a lot of expertise to add to your staff. In today’s constantly changing environment, it’s beneficial to proactively help your teams navigate change. Here are six ways to guide teams in this process.

1. Acknowledge The Challenge

Leaders love to talk about "resilience," but employees often hear that as an invitation to simply "grin and bear it." Instead, employers should be open about coming changes, what they mean for the company, and acknowledge that change is felt by the entire team, not just individuals. It should be addressed at an organizational level. This involves explaining the benefits of the change while acknowledging the challenges. At the very least, employees may feel heard and understood.

2. Embrace A Learning Mindset

Change presents an opportunity to grow. Employers can promote a healthy mindset throughout the organization, helping employees reframe upcoming changes as an opportunity to learn and adapt. Harvard Business Review suggests adopting the mantra, “I am a person who is learning.” Here are a few examples of reframing from the point of view of those with disabilities:

Instead of “I’m so worried about asking for a reasonable accommodation.” Tell yourself, “I am a person learning how to advocate for myself and get my needs met at work.”
Instead of “I have no idea how I’ll manage a full-time schedule,” tell yourself, “I am a person learning to handle a full workload, and it’s okay to tweak things when necessary.”

3. Remain Flexible

Making long-range plans is a good strategy. But during a season of change, it's best to make these plans in pencil. Being open to change may mean adapting your schedule or goals to accommodate unforeseen events or changes. Employers need to let their teams know that it may be necessary to pivot, and it’s acceptable, and even healthy, to do so.

>4. Create A Burnout-Free Environment

As recently as 2022, 59% of employees have reported at least "moderate" feelings of burnout. But that doesn't have to mean that burnout is inevitable. Leaders can create a burnout-free environment by identifying and eliminating the stressors that lead to burnout.

Preventing burnout also involves promoting behaviors that can lead to better work-life balance, such as:

Monitoring employee workloads.
Encouraging the use of vacation time.
Providing hybrid/remote work options.
Prioritizing physical and mental wellness.
Offering employee assistance programs.

These strategies can help employees adapt to change without becoming overwhelmed by workplace stress. As a bonus, they can also help you attract and retain the best talent for your workplace.

5. Lead By Example

As a manager, you set the tone for the rest of your organization. You are also responsible for encouraging any assistant managers or department heads to do the same.

You can lead by example by incorporating the above habits into your own routine. Take regular breaks, manage stress and avoid negative speech about changes within the workplace. Be sure to communicate this to your team so it’s clear to all that they should follow suit.

6. Maintain Open Communication

It's also essential for management to stay in contact with their teams. Even a simple daily check-in can allow employees to make themselves heard.

Some companies even provide regular employee engagement surveys designed to track the attitudes and behavior of the staff. Listening to feedback may provide suggestions for the future or help you better understand how your staff is navigating change.

The Ticket to Work (TTW Program ensures that those receiving Social Security disability benefits have a clear path to return to the workplace. By utilizing workers from the TTW Program, managers can employ people with years of experience and specialized skills, while employees with SSDI can ease their way back to work through a directed program.

At AES we can help by navigating the TTW Program for your employees with disabilities so you can focus on fostering an environment that is primed for change and built on inclusivity.