22 Things You Can Do to Help Your Employees Move Through Change

• Address fears, anxieties, and stress points directly with your people (ASK!).
• Increase the touchpoints with your people (more one on one’s, team meetings, face-to-face meetings, random check-ins).
• Communicate the why when you can and if you cannot, at least communicate the progress being made. Be honest!
• Build a trusting environment by being open, vulnerable, consistent, and transparent.
• Empower your team members by asking them what they need, get to really know them, and include them in the decision-making process when you can.
• “Know thyself” – know your own leadership style and how you communicate. Recognize the areas that challenge you and ask for feedback.
• Focus on what you can control and influence, not what is out of bounds.
• Model the behaviors you want to see – Be a good role model!
• Practice active listening (words, tone, and body language).
• Set small realistic goals. Don’t be afraid to revisit and reset goals if needed based on the needs of the team.
• Practice emotional intelligence – be self-aware of how you manage and express your own emotions. Also, be aware of the emotions of your team and address them – don’t ignore them!
• Encourage mentorship and be a mentor. People perform better when they have an ally and an ear when things get challenging.
• Invest in employee development, focusing on both personal and professional development topics.
• Frequently ask your people what they need.
• Revisit old rituals, traditions, core values, vision, and stories of the organization to remind people the overall why and foster feelings of teamwork.
• Use incentives to help motivate. These do not need to be monetary-based. A positive email praising an employee and frequent “you are doing a great job!” goes a long way!
• Practice gratitude – remember each day what you can be grateful for at work and personally.
• Engage in frequent team-building activities and check-ins with the team. Use activities such as Stop, Start, Continue (what should we stop doing, what should we start doing, what should we continue doing) to gauge the temperature of the team.
• Encourage recovery breaks throughout the workday to prevent burnout.
• Allow flexibility where you can for working conditions (working from home, days off, etc.).
• Remember to move your body and eat well! Make wellness a top priority with your team. Offer resources (EAP, Energy for Performance program principles, etc.) when needed.
• Break down goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Allow for fast, small wins!