Whether you are trying to increase productivity, improve customer service, reduce cost or foster a more engaging and inclusive work environment, the recipe for successful change is the same. Envision. Empower. Engage.
Envision: Define the end-game. Create a mental picture of what the end-game looks like and how it will enable your company to fulfill its promise to customers and employees. Once defined, create a line-of-site for employees to the end-game. How do they fit in? What’s their role in creating the change? Said another way, what’s in it for them? This will create the connection, buy-in and ownership needed to solidify employee commitment to change.
Empower: Provide employees with skills and tools to design and implement change. Basic workplace tools such as Brainstorming, a What’s Important Tree, Process Map and Decision Matrix enable employees to provide input, participate in decision-making and can facilitate identifying innovative ways to deliver the outcomes needed to achieve the end-game.
Engage: Make sure employees feel included in the overall change process and are valued and appreciated for their input and efforts. Reward and recognition is a powerful catalyst for achieving and sustaining successful change.
Change, even on a good day is difficult. Applying the Everyday Excellence principles of Envision, Empower and Engage can turn a difficult chore into an engaging adventure.