When is it a good time for change?
Some people like change and some do not. Which one are you?
As a manager you need to be able to implement changes when needed. Now do not get me wrong, it can be hard to get changes going. Most people enjoy and find comfort in a standard routine or process but when it comes to your business, organization, or office/lab is that best?
I do not recommend you change things simply to “mix it up”. For changes to be of value and to get your employees on board, there should be a strong reason behind why you are making the change.
This is the general process I go through when looking to implement a change:
- Identify the problem or situation. “If it is ain’t broke, no need to fix it”
- Put together a plan on how I would remedy the problem.
- Speak with the employees involved and see if they also see it, ask for input
- Take the employee input and my ideas and see if I cannot merge the two
- When I feel an option is created, plan to implement it.
So when do you implement your change? That is probably the hardest part.
It really depends on what the change is and what is effects in your facility. I recently had a procedural change I wanted to implement but the problem was we were in the middle of a project and if I implemented this change, (I believed) it would have negatively effected the project so I put it on hold. Now if your situation is dire then, that of course is another issue.
In general here are some opportunities that lend themselves to allow changes:
- New project
- End of a project
- New employee(s)
- New management
- Yearly Performance Review
- The New Year
- New Fiscal Year
The bottom line is that as a manager you need to be keeping an eye on your facility to see when a change might be necessary. You will need to plan out the appropriate steps to take and then depending on the situation, find the best time to make the change.
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” -Lao Tzu