It’s no secret that companies have been facing a lot of changes over the past few years. From the COVID-19 pandemic forcing remote work to the economy causing RIFs and layoffs, many companies are finding that their standard operation procedure has been disturbed, which in turn hurts project success. If your business is still growing and evolving, things get even more difficult to navigate!

The key to overcoming these challenges is effective enterprise change management (ECM). You need to have organizational change management strategies in place that help you adapt where needed, so your company can succeed. Here’s where to start.

Understanding the change landscape in evolving enterprises

Before jumping in, it’s important to take a step back and understand what kind of changes you’re facing. Economic fluctuations often lead to layoffs and restructuring. And if your company is growing quickly, you may struggle to scale while maintaining company culture.

Tech industry leaders predict that, unfortunately, the mass layoffs from 2023 will continue. “Given AI advancements, companies are preparing for a major organizational shift,” one suggests. No matter what changes are on the way, the key to not only surviving them, but thriving is effective enterprise change management. 

“Given AI advancements, companies are preparing for a major organizational shift.”

— Anna Tavis, clinical professor in human capital management at NYU

Creating a change-ready culture

Your job as an organizational leader is to create a change-ready culture — and now is the time to start.

Your company should be highly adaptable — work to foster a culture that embraces change as a constant and encourages continuous learning.

It’s also important to involve employees in the decision-making processes related to change.

Common changes enterprises face and how to manage them

Let’s take a deeper look at how you can practically create a change-ready culture. Here are some of the most common changes enterprises face and the best management processes to help navigate them.

Managing layoffs

Unfortunately, layoffs are often a part of company change. If you need to let employees go, prioritize transparency. Communicate openly about the reasons for layoffs and the future direction of the company.

It’s also a nice gesture to provide support such as counseling, career transition services, and opportunities for retraining. 

Managing rapid growth

Organizational growth is a good thing — but it needs to be handled right. To replicate your current processes at a large scale, implement technologies that can accommodate growth. And along the way, focus on cultural preservation, maintaining your core values and culture even while you expand (LEGO is a great example of scaling company culture).

One way to do this is by using a tool like GoProfiles. GoProfiles makes it easy for employees to get to know new coworkers. The employee profile feature lets you see job titles, contact information, or work anniversaries at a glance, helping you manage the people on your team.

Managing new team structures

Are your team structures shifting? Make a point of communicating regularly with employees, sharing any new team structures during all-hands meetings or in your company Slack channel. Being transparent about upcoming changes is one of the smartest management practices to keep everybody feeling engaged and valued.

GoProfiles users can sync the platform with their HR software to automatically update a company org chart. Employees can access this at any time to understand team structures — including both current structures, and how those situations might be changing. 

Managing ever-changing tech stacks

As your company grows and changes, your tech stack will grow and change, too. This is only natural. But in this ever-evolving digital age, it can make it difficult to keep track of everything.

Knowledge management tools like GoLinks make it easy to find any company resource you need, thanks to short, memorable links replacing clunky URLs. For example, if you change benefits platforms, your employees won’t have to remember the name or URL of the new platform. They can simply access it using go/benefits — the same link they used for the previous benefits tool.

Managing work environment changes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies sent their employees home to work remotely. But by now, many employers are switching to a hybrid model — or simply going back to the office altogether. 90% of companies plan to return to having everybody in the office by the end of 2024.

Senior leaders can guide companies through these changes by focusing on communication. Clearly communicate the timeline, expectations, and benefits of the new work environment. It’s especially important to define performance expectations. This ensures accountability and maintains productivity levels.

You can also involve employees by getting their input on how they feel about organizational changes. And allow everyone to continuously improve by offering training that equips employees with the skills they need to excel in the new environment.

Future-proofing your enterprise

Setting enterprise change management strategies in place sooner rather than later will prepare your company for future challenges. 

You’re likely to find yourself continuously adapting, project by project. That’s okay! Be flexible and willing to learn, adopting strategies that align with your unique situation.

You might not be able to control changes in your business that are due to economic shifts or growth. But you can control how you respond to them — with effective change management strategies and skills.

Improve your project management and people side with GoProfiles. This “people platform” helps you scale your culture through features encompassing employee profiles, recognition, and communication — all of them making it easier for a growing company to stay connected. Sign up for free to explore how GoProfiles can help you handle change with ease.