When the airports in metro cities were privatised a decade ago, I as a journalist in my previous career wrote about angst, frustration and insecurities of the employees for years. There would be regular protests, some planned, some arranged in a flash against privatisation. I would receive calls from some known employees as to what was happening on absorbing the employees into the privatised airports.
Similar was the situation when the management of my older organisation changed. I noticed how everyone felt anxious about what changes the new management was going to bring about and if their jobs were safe.
An organisational change, be it management, a CEO or operational, throws up challenges across all levels. The employees are likely to feel insecure about following reasons:
Role ambiguity: When the employee is unclear if his or her role is going to change and what the change might be, it leads to anxiety and decreased productivity.
Change related difficulty: The employee might experience difficulty in terms of motivation when situation results in layoffs which is a structural change, change in working style (hierarchy, reporting, meetings), change in personal workload and concerns of long term career in the organisation. These factors bring in a feeling of unsettledness which again results in lowered productivity.
Change-related information: The employee might feel threatened if there is lack of information on the change which causes anxiety of uncertainty.
Low self-efficacy to change: The employee is not able to manage the change at a personal level and needs more time for adjustment.
The situations of organisational change happen occasionally given the fast moving business scenario where strategies are changed to suit the need. Here are a few tips for the employees and managers to deal with change.
Information provision: Employee anxiety is more likely if there is lack of information about the change and what it is likely to bring in. Gather information from your manager, or a reliable source on the changed management, person (CEO) and strategies that are likely to be implemented in the organisation. This makes change predictable thus arresting the anxiety of uncertainty. The employee will have clarity related to his role, job and is able to make decisions which could be beneficial to him or her and the company.
Self-efficacy: Here it refers to employee’s ability to adjust to the organisational change. Make a chart based on the available information on the changes in the work structure, role, workload. Add another column on what changes he or she could make to adapt to the new situation. Add a third column on how these changes can be achieved. This reduces the tension and anxiety associated with having to deal with change in an unplanned manner.
Reference
Nerina L. Jimmieson, D. J. (2004). A Longitudinal Study of Employee Adaptation toInformation and Change-Related Self-Efficacy Organizational Change: The Role of Change-Related. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 11-27.