Submitted by SKIP TIERNO & BOB TIERNO , Thursday, 27^th March 2008

Whether we are in an election year or bracing ourselves with the ups and downs of the economy, organizations that do not embrace and manage change in the 21st century’s global economy cannot remain competitive.

Workplace change brings uncertainty to most employees thus leading to their discomfort. The future is out of their control. In order to adjust to a new way of doing things, it is important to understand the factors that drive change, how people react to it, and how you can manage it successfully.

The only thing you can absolutely be sure of in business is that things will change. That leaves us with only one choice- to accept change and use it to our advantage. Change is also continual. It goes on all the time, and it will never stop. So when you are in the midst of change, don’t be tempted to think, “If we can just get through this, then everything will go back to normal and we won’t have to deal with any more change.” That’s not going to happen.

To be among the successful, among those who deal effectively with change and take advantage of the opportunities it offers, we must be prepared to face today’s demanding challenges.

• We must be prepared to change quickly to meet market demands and keep ahead of the competition.
• We must always be looking for ways to reduce costs and increase profits while improving the quality of our goods and services.
• We have to identify ways to expand our customer base while keeping the customers we already have satisfied and loyal.
• We have to maintain flexibility, so that we can act quickly to capitalize on new opportunities.
• And we must continuously assess our strategies-reviewing where we have been; where we are now and where we need to go to remain strong, competitive and profitable.

The pace of change today is so rapid that we simply cannot afford to become complacent. On the job, we face potential change in many different areas such as technology, staffing levels, work relationships change with teams and projects, legal requirements and of course changes in our employee’s personal lives as well.

So what do the most successful companies do to deal with this challenge of change? First they create change leadership. They identify change leaders who could be effective contributors to the change process. They should be motivated and of course good communicators. As change is implemented keep a finger on the pulse of the morale by being visible and available, patient and respectful. Focus on common goals to bring employees together and keep them working together.

Finally, be a good role model, keep your people informed, involve employees in the change process.


About The Entrepreneur’s Source: The Entrepreneur’s Source (TES) is North America’s leading career and business coaching company with more than 250 offices in the United States and Canada. TES offers a full-range of services to individuals seeking alternate career options and to small-to-medium size companies looking to increase performance. The goal of the Entrepreneur’s Source is to partner with both individuals and companies to achieve their desired outcome. For more information on entrepreneurship, franchising, and/or the business coaching resources that TES has to offer, please contact Skip & Bob Tierno at 832-285-5272 / 877-812-3247 or by email at skip@e-sourcehouston.com / bob@e-sourcehouston.com.

TES is also a proud member of the Better Business Bureau: www.entrepreneurssource.reliabilitymall.com.

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