One of the biggest triggers of disengagement is organizational change. People fall into the traps of negativity, victimhood and distrust and the natural consequence is that they stop feeling the same loyalty and engagement they previously did.
As management, there are actions you can take to proactively minimize these effects and make the change effort go more smoothly.
First and foremost, pay attention to the issue of fostering trust. Once you erode people’s sense of trust, it is extremely difficult to rebuild it.
Here are three key strategies for fostering trust amidst any change initiative:
1. Use TACTâ„¢ – based communication. TACTâ„¢ stands for Timely, Attentive, Concise and Truthful. You can drive a great change initiative but if you communicate late, inaccurately or in a confusing way, you will lose trust and buy-in in no time at all.
2. Work appropriately with various `Change Profiles’â„¢. In my work with hundreds of organizations I have identified seven typical `change profiles’ that describe people’s distinctive responses to change. Each profile requires a different managerial response. Once people feel that you are actively supportive of their unique journey, they are more likely to trust.
3. Maintain your authenticity. People trust leaders who are transparent and even share their own feelings in a mature, helpful way. If you practice being authentic and candid, people will trust you. In fact, they’ll go through fire for you.
Trust is the glue that will hold things together as you put people through the trials and tribulations of change. A little thought and planning around this issue will keep productivity up and disengagement down.