Your team is facing organizational change. How do you keep motivation high?

Frankly, you cannot keep morale high during change. Most people hate uncertainty. Recognize that a lot of time is going to be spent gossiping, work closely to maintain your top talent, and realize that over time, you will lose people. Hopefully not your best.

When facing organizational change, I prioritize open communication and empathy. I start by clearly explaining the reasons for the change, ensuring the team understands the bigger picture and how it aligns with our goals. I also make it a point to acknowledge any concerns and provide a platform for team members to voice their thoughts. To keep motivation high, I emphasize the opportunities that change can bring, such as personal growth or new skills. Recognizing and celebrating small wins during the transition also helps maintain a positive atmosphere. Ultimately, I stay transparent and supportive, making sure the team feels valued and involved throughout the process.

Maintaining a high level of morale is dependent on the type and breadth of change. Organizations, business units, departments routinely go through change, it's the magnitude and impact on the team that needs to be clearly articulated. Focusing on "how we fit into this" or "what's the impact" whether positive or negative (i.e., downsizing) is important. Having a relationship built on trust with your team also helps deliver messages and maintain performance. We are human and each person internalizes the message / impact, so as managers we need to recognize this and respond accordingly.

To maintain high motivation during organizational change, focus on open communication, transparency about the change process, emphasize the positive outcomes, provide opportunities for growth and development, recognize and appreciate team contributions, and foster a supportive and collaborative environment.

People feel demotivated for the reason that they try to resist the change. When it is crystal clear that you cannot block the change, it is better either to accept it with pleasure or to quit without pressure, in case you can afford it without sacrificing things more closer to your heart. The main reason for building up pressure within is to think that changes would bring negatives to you. In reality it need not be. One need to move out from the comfort zone and to patiently dissect the elements of change going to take place and need to do a detailed analysis as to how much percentage of it is good or bad. To do this successfully, first one need to come out of his/her ego. We all know what happened to biggest companies like Nokia.

Regular team updates as any change is happening together with an open-door policy, 1:1s and listening sessions and office hours help to keep comms lines open. Ensure also that key people on the team are well briefed so messages remain clear, honest and consistent.

Change and continuous development require communication at the highest level. It is advisable to inform service providers as multipliers in advance and to get them on board. Employees don't want change at first, they want stability, continuity and the familiar environment. They therefore need a point of contact for their questions and concerns. Managers need to quickly identify those who create a negative atmosphere and try to dispel their concerns in good time. In the best case scenario, these employees will then also become positive multipliers.

Look for opportunities to share responsibilities across the team as you do this. Get the team involved and engaged in the process.

Listening is key here. Look for trends in what’s being said across the team. Communication can help to resolve a lot of issues and having a rapid feedback process coupled with clear communication lines means you can hear concerns and address them quickly to the wider group. 1, 9 and 90 rule also applies here. If 1% say something, 9% will likely comment on it and 90% will observe (or think it).

Differing from others, I acknowledge and thank my team members for their efforts, which is essential. These acts of praise, whether they take the form of little presents or public acknowledgement, validate their work and inspire sustained commitment. This creates an upbeat and inspiring environment by demonstrating to my team that their efforts are valued and crucial to the change's success.