How to Manage Change at Work

During the current climate, change is happening fast – and often in an unwelcome fashion.  You may be making people redundant or losing your job yourself.  You may be short-staffed and unable to replace people who are leaving.  Your company may be reorganizing, your role changing.

You may have decided to implement change yourself – to explore new career options, return to work, reduce your working hours or retire.

Here are some of the ways you can use Working Edge in managing change:

• Managing redundancy:

—- Managing staff

—- Talking through shock, anger, fear, anxiety and loss

—- Exploring new career opportunities

—- Identifying and taking the first steps in finding new work

—- Maintaining momentum

—- Developing a professional network through your Working Edge group

• Implementing redundancies:

—- Giving bad news clearly and honestly

—- Ensuring staff feel heard and respected

—- Being sympathetic but holding boundaries

—- Managing the delivery of objectives you dislike or disagree with ways to support

—  yourself through difficult times

• Implementing reorganizations:

—- Exploring positive and new ways of delivering change

—- Communicating with staff and others affected

—- Being open and flexible, while holding boundaries

—- Being assertive and honest without being harsh

• Experiencing unwelcome reorganization:

—- An outlet for frustration about unwelcome change

—- Developing communication strategies and negotiation skills to achieve the

—  best-possible outcome

—- Finding strategies to manage yourself well when change is out of your control

—- Maintaining self-respect when you feel poorly valued

—- Considering the range of choices and options available

• Making a career change:

—- Considering options

—- Balancing practicalities and following your dreams

—- Start-up strategies

—- First steps

—- Financial considerations

—- Thinking through the impact of the changes you are about to make

• Returning to work:

—- Exploring your hopes and dreams for returning to work

—- Finding the job that will fulfil you and fit your life

—- Work,life and family balance

—- Ideas and support from your peers in the group

• Downsizing and retirement:

—- Identifying your hopes and aims, and planning to achieve them

—- Managing a change in or loss of identity

—- Maintaining self-respect and self-worth outside working life

—- Retaining a network

—- Financial and practical considerations