Change management is an organizational process that involves altering the company’s structure. Changes are usually done to optimize operations and boost business performance. While the process sounds relatively simple, it involves collaborative work to ensure that the necessary changes and transitions are made with little to no problems.

It’s safe to say that change management relies heavily on the workforce. In fact, a 2015 study by McKinsey states that 70% of change programs do not achieve their goals due to a lack of support from the company’s internal stakeholders. However, when these stakeholders work towards the intended changes, the process is 30% more likely to succeed. Thus, for companies to successfully implement changes, employees should be trained to facilitate change management.

Here are tips on implementing effective change management training programs and the benefits of doing so.

How Businesses Can Go About Employee Training for Change Management

• Identify Training Goals and Requirements

The first step to implementing any training program is to identify what you want to achieve from it. Remember to align training plans with company objectives to ensure that the program matches the business’s values and strategies. For example, if your business’s long-term goal is to scale up continuously over the next few years, take that into account when planning your training program.

Then write down clear goals, taking into account talent gaps in the workforce. In change management, essential skills include communication skills, data management capabilities, and strategic thinking.

• Get the Workforce Involved

Once you have a general outline for the change management training program, share it with the workforce. Ask for comments and suggestions. This request allows the workforce to help in optimizing the training program. Additionally, it encourages employees of all levels to communicate.

The goal of getting the workforce involved with the planning process is to create an ideal training program. Factors such as subject matter, methods of instruction, and scheduling should be ironed out to heighten employee participation. You should officially implement the training program only after you’ve made all the tweaks and compromises.

• Encourage Individual Learning

Learning shouldn’t be confined to the four walls of the classroom (or, in this case, the office). To further improve employee competencies, create a culture of learning within the company. A growth mindset motivates employees to learn outside of the company’s training programs and increases the organization’s overall change readiness. Encourage the workforce to upskill by sharing educational resources and opportunities with them.

There are hundreds of online business courses to recommend, offered by reputable institutions such as Coursera and Microsoft Office. Short courses are loaded with valuable business information. The courses follow the latest business trends taught in business administration degrees, such as financial accounting, economics, business law, and statistics. Many of these courses will also offer advanced classes on management information systems and cybersecurity.

Short courses provide easy avenues to acquire industry knowledge and technical skills. Essentially, employees should be aware of the educational avenues available, as this spurs them to acquire skills that will assist change management and other business processes.

How Effective Training Benefits Change Management

• Heightened Change Success Rate

A direct benefit of well-executed change management training is the increased efficacy of change management efforts within the company. A competent workforce makes for an agile and efficient business.

• Encourages Communication Among the Workforce

Communications skills are highlighted multiple times throughout this and other articles. Communication plays a central role in organizational change. A study on support and resistance in change management highlights communication as a primary factor in the workforce’s reactions to change. This stands alongside individual predispositions and organizational context. With that said, communication does not only benefit change management processes. It also improves internal operations as a whole, as it spurs employees to cooperate and collaborate more.

• Improves Employee Engagement

Finally, implementing training programs boosts employee engagement. Such programs make your employees feel that you care for their professional development, making them more likely to stay. Additionally, company wins bolster engagement. Allowing yourself and your team to celebrate after navigating a transitionary period is an excellent way to boost employee satisfaction.

Change management is a tricky process. However, with the right tools and strategies, any company can navigate them with ease. If you need help in this endeavor, Momentum offers organizational change management solutions that highlight general strategy, behavior change, change tracking, and more.

Book a call with Momentum now to see your options!

Corinne Aspen – Freelance Writer

Corinne Aspen is a freelance writer who is currently working on publishing more business posts to build her portfolio. During her free time, she enjoys knitting blankets for her cats.