Most HR leaders (73%) and workers (60%) say they’re prepared for change and confident about their organizations’ ability to manage future change, according to a July 22 report from The Conference Board.
However, HR leaders were less likely to see past change efforts as successful, identifying gaps in measurement, communication and alignment.
“Too often, change management is reactive, inconsistent or entirely overlooked,” Erka Amursi, principal researcher of human capital at The Conference Board, said in a news release. “But our data show that intentional, inclusive strategies can dramatically improve the odds of successful change adoption — and the confidence that comes with it.”
In surveys of 170 U.S. human capital leaders and 538 workers, The Conference Board found that change initiatives often fail due to people-related challenges. For instance, employees may resist adopting new changes, fear losing opportunities or experience fatigue from fragmented change initiatives that aren’t accompanied by consistent support. These challenges can lead to disengagement and burnout.
That’s true, even in the C-suite, according to an Orgvue report. In fact, 2 in 5 CEOs have said they’d rather quit than lead large-scale workforce transformation. C-suite leaders feel transformation fatigue as well, particularly because only 23% of transformation projects succeed, and most organizations are forced into crisis-response or event-based transformations, Orgvue’s CEO said.
Even so, CHROs can help guide the C-suite through workplace transformation, according to an iCIMS report. With retention, internal mobility and talent acquisition initiatives at the top of the priority list, HR leaders are “poised to be the strategic partner to help the C-suite navigate the road ahead,” iCIMS’ chief people officer said.
For change management success, The Conference Board recommended investing in change management resources and capabilities, such as creating full-time change management teams, developing change management skills at all levels and increasing business literacy.
In addition, The Conference Board supported creating a culture of change by treating it as a constant transformation, rather than a one-off event. Notably, leaders need to foster psychological safety, trust, transparency, continuous learning and resilience, the report found.
Based on its change management resources, The Conference Board also suggested incorporating six steps for effective change management: addressing the past, aligning leadership, engaging affected employees, creating a tailored communications plan, measuring results continuously and training and supporting staff.