Talking Through the Future

Talking through to the Future

By Beth Banks Cohn, PhD

One of the most crucial aspects of change management is talking your employees through it. One important component is having a dialogue about the future — the company's future and your employees' role in it.

For the health and well-being of the company, individuals need to embrace or at least make peace with company changes in short order. But here's the hitch. Self-preservation kicks in whenever a big change is in the offing. Over the years, I have observed that during an organizational change people get very self-centered in times of turmoil. ”How will this affect me?” becomes the primary question in everyone’s mind, whether they ask it aloud or not.

If you expect this position rather than judge it, you'll be in a good position to engage in some "future talk" with your employees. Here are some general guidelines on how to help employees move into the future with you.

Be prepared to answer the question. When they pose the inevitable What does this mean to me? question, either directly or through their general attitude or demeanor, be prepared to answer. But also be prepared to engage them in a conversation that stretches their perspective. Ask them to say how they want to see it affect them, what they want to get out of it. In other words, ask them to articulate how they see themselves in the organization as a result of these changes

Discuss development plans. Times of transition are great moments to revisit training and development for employees. Doing this helps ground them and it also reminds them that there are still opportunities to learn new skills and grow.. This helps employees be more resilient and be as prepared as possible for future business demands.

Brainstorm opportunities. Talk to employees about how "difficult times" might benefit them in the long term — e.g., What skills might they gain? What opportunities might they find? What risks can they take?

Set the example. Now it is your turn to revisit your development plan. Think about how the past year has benefited or affected you. (Even if you have to "dig deep," it is an exercise worth doing — and one you're asking your employees to do!) When appropriate, share your own findings with your employees.

Make 1-on-1 time. Intranet announcements and company-wide meetings are fine for broadcasting the nitty-gritty of change initiatives, but they aren't enough. Make time to discuss the future with each employee. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate — just a simple private conversation can help people feel noticed and let them know that you still have expectations of them. Such conversations are always a good management practice but take on new meaning for employees during times of change. It not only helps both you and the employee remain connected, but also encourages employees to think about and plan for unanticipated changes in a very unpredictable business future.

Click here to return to Articles

Click here to return to Banks Consulting website