Transformation processes trigger uncertainty and anxiety among many employees. Authentic and sensitive top-down communication is essential to ensure that this does not lead to frustration and resignation and paralyze productivity. Managers can inspire their employees for the future through targeted communication and take them on an exciting journey. You should pay attention to this.
Adaptation only succeeds through change
"It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one that responds best to change." What the 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin made the cornerstone of his theory of evolution applies not only to nature, but also to economics. In the above quote, the word "species" could easily be replaced by "company". Because only companies that adapt to changing market conditions and are therefore one step ahead of their competitors have a chance of surviving on the market. Regular transformations are therefore the basis of consistent and sustainable growth and a guarantee for the continued existence of companies.
Challenges in corporate transformations
However, transformations are complex processes that pose many challenges. A sustainable, successful corporate transformation must always take place within the company as a whole and cannot just involve sub-areas. It must always focus on the three core aspects of a company, which are:
- Organizational methods
- Infrastructure
- Employees.
Companies usually initiate transformation processes when they are either already under pressure (which is usually too late) or when they fear that the time may soon come. They want to become more profitable, efficient and innovative through a new management and corporate culture; the employer brand should be strengthened. A takeover by a third-party company, integration into a holding structure or a change in management can also initiate a transformation process.
Employees: Recognizing fears and overcoming them through top-down communication
But no matter what the reasons for the transformation are: Changes in the corporate structure and corporate culture are almost always associated with uncertainty, sometimes even fear, for employees. In order to reduce these fears and successfully manage the transformation process, the Top-down communication between managers, who are the creators of the transformation, and the employees is crucial. Strategic importance to.
If a company changes from a strictly hierarchically structured group to a company with a network-like structure, this has far-reaching consequences for employees. They are given more freedom and greater creative leeway; many things are carried out and implemented without having to be approved by all levels. This freedom also results in more responsibility - responsibility that can lead to pressure and a feeling of being overwhelmed if it is not counteracted by communication and suitable offers.
Company transformations are sometimes associated with restructuring measures. If employee competencies and responsibilities overlap or are simply no longer needed, there is even the threat of job loss. This also - understandably - triggers fears about the future.
Social skills are crucial
Managers must communicate in a way that prevents pressure from building up in the first place, as it can lead to a feeling of paralysis and a slump in productivity. Resignation and frustration can spread due to excessive demands. Managers can put a stop to these developments through their communication strategy. Your Social skills are therefore crucial for broad-based employee support during the transformation phase: they must recognize the skills and competencies that employees bring with them and support them individually. Through communication, they must be able to allay fears, motivate and create a "Big Picture" so crediblythat employees look to the future with openness and curiosity and play an active role in shaping it.
Creating a communicative infrastructure
For this to succeed in practice, a communicative infrastructure is required through which employees can be addressed - physically or virtually. Regular feedback discussions, meetings and workshops can make an important contribution here. At the beginning of the transformation process, these offers should primarily be aimed at people with management responsibility, who then act as multipliers in the departments and communicate the strategic corporate vision to the employees.
The decisive factor here is that company management must be fully committed to the goals of the transformation process. It must shape the process, drive it forward and set a good example. This attitude cannot be delegated. It is important that the transformation process is transparent at all times and that employees can understand the goals and results. Only then is a credible and Authentic top-down communicationthat promotes support for the process.
Checklist - what constitutes successful top-down communication in the transformation process?
In summary, it is these points that make top-down communication successful in the transformation phase:
- Socially competent managersthat respond individually to employees and their skills
- A Big Picture for the future that takes employees on a journey
- Transparency throughout the entire process
- Managers who work with good example.
(Cover image: © kasto | fotolia.com)
