HR Professional - February/March 2008 - (Page 26)

S T R AT E GY BY GAIL RIESCHI BUSINESS EXPANSION AND CORPORATE CULTURE M ost companies experiencing rapid growth recognize the need for operational adjustments and proactively make personnel, structural and process-based changes accordingly. Assuming what’s good for the organization must also be good for employees, senior management often makes unilateral internal adjustments without staff consultation. Senior management’s biggest mistake is overlooking the impact of change on existing staff. Any significant change in size, scope or direction of a business can have a profound, often unintended, effect on corporate culture and the work methods and behaviours that reflect it. When employees don’t understand the corporate shift, they often feel manipulated and unappreciated. Absenteeism and stress leaves increase, misinformation and rumours emerge, all contributing to a negative, even toxic, work environment. Staff turnover escalates, work quality declines, service delays increase and business opportunities are lost. A once successful company risks a collision course with failure. recruits and/or manage teams. But these employees may be ill-equipped to handle their new responsibilities or prefer to remain in their existing positions. More formalized work procedures might also affect established social patterns and behaviours. Workers who were used to lunching together every day might suddenly find their new schedules don’t allow for this, which can have a big impact on an employee’s sense of belonging. Seek employee feedback Audit employees to gauge how they feel about the company’s expansion, and how it’s affecting them personally. By encouraging staff to participate in the creation or afﬁrmation of the company’s mission, values and vision statements, employees start to take ownership of the company and become personally invested in its future. Develop a plan Integrate employee input and make required changes. Managers should create a positive, multifaceted, ongoing communication strategy that clearly deﬁnes the intent of proposed changes and their anticipated beneﬁts, and invites feedback at any time. Implement and followup While written policy documents help clarify the organization’s vision, they are only useful if they are put into practice. Employees will expect responsive action. Management-employee communication should be an ongoing process and not a one-time event. An ongoing dialogue further solidifies the partnership between employees and management. While proactive change management is a lengthy process, repairing a failed change initiative can be even more difficult and time-consuming. Managed appropriately, organizational growth can be a unifying, rather than divisive, experience. Gail Rieschi (grieschi@vpi-inc.com) is president and CEO of vpi Inc., a firm that specializes in employment and HR management services. HR P R OF E S S I ON A L What senior management has overlooked Unfortunately, senior management does not always recognize the effect of top-level, changedriven decisions on corporate culture. In many organizations, senior management is made up of entrepreneurs and individuals with technical or operational mastery whose attention is focused on generating revenue, increasing market share, managing ﬁnances and delivering products or services. Training or experience with human capital management is usually absent. Paradoxically, organizational health is most reliant on human capital management strategy during times of rapid or forced change. Recognize the impact of growth on staff With a growing workforce, a collegial or informal workplace may become more formal and additional layers of management may be required. Executives often see long-serving employees as people who can help train new 26 F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 8

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - February/March 2008

HR Professional - February/March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Boards By the Numbers Did You Know Sustainability Education News: E-Recycling Communications News: HR Study FYI Ethics World Watch News: Legislation Legal Compensation Focus Strategy The Colour of Money Sustainable Skills From Brown to Green HR Trends: From Winners to Also-Rans Branding Human Capital HR 101 Interview with David Suzuki Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - February/March 2008

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