What is change management?

“In today’s organizations, change is constant. Whether the change is about processes, technologies, the structure of the organization, or something else, each change impacts how individual employees do their jobs. The success of the change depends on the success of change management in encouraging individuals to embrace, adopt and utilize a required change.”
– Prosci Change Management Methodology

Top of mind now in “The New Workplace” is distancing, occupancy, and cleanability. LOTH’s Kyla Burns serves as a Prosci® Certified Change Management Practitioner. She has been working tirelessly with our leadership team to ensure the proper protocols and more importantly, the communications to our team surrounding those protocols, are in place. The recommended regulations from the government coupled with multiple conversations within our internal team have transpired a collection of learnings:

Technology: We’ve all been forced to adapt to collaborating virtually. You can continue to utilize Microsoft Teams or Zoom in addition to a small in-person group. Touchless technology will continue to evolve in workplaces including motion activated sanitizer dispensers and voice-controlled software.

Occupancy: Occupancy sensors such as Steelcase Workplace Advisor, are being used in new ways. Businesses can use this tool to gage what areas of the workplace have the most traffic to plan for more intense cleaning.

Meeting Areas: Consider removing half of the existing chairs from a setting. It may be helpful to mark tables and shared surfaces every 6’ to assist in identifying safe distances.

Workstations: State officials suggest screens are added to workstations. We have a large range of options available if your current settings aren’t a high panel height.

Pathways: Think about your walking path throughout your space and try to plan routes that will avoid passing others in walkways tighter than 6’ wide. Labeling rooms and areas with occupancy guidelines may be helpful to employees as to not overbook conference rooms.

Creative Space Division:  Mobile markerboards, acoustic panels, and filing systems can be positioned to steer traffic throughout your open spaces and section off small meeting areas.

change management tips

• Change needs to happen on an individual level to change your organization
• A thoughtful, structured, approach will build trust with your team members
• Share “why” these protocols have been put in place and why they are imperative to your company’s safety
• Be sure to prepare teams for the changes, train your teams on the changes, and follow up or reinforce the changes. All three are critical