There is a catch-22 surrounding organisational change and employee engagement – the extent to which employees are motivated and dedicated to their organisations. On the one hand, engaged employees play an important part in organisational change. They are most likely to buy into it, facilitate its implementation and go the extra mile when needed. Yet on the other hand, change is itself unsettling and can easily erode employee engagement.
On top of worries about job security, employees may have to get their heads around new strategy and priorities and understand what this means for the work that they do. For example, many local councils will currently be remodelling services to make cost savings. It is important that employees get a clear idea of what the implications are for what roles they fulfil and how these are structured. Further, as well as taking on new roles, employees will need to let go of their old roles or ways of working, which can be even more difficult.
One essential element is good leadership and communication from the top. Most employees genuinely want to understand the reasons for organisational change and be kept well informed on strategy. For example, one employee interviewed by Roffey Park said that communications on change at Norfolk county council are specific, relevant and easily accessible. They said, "It's not revolutionary, but it does make a massive difference to how you feel about working here … you can't fail to at least feel part of the county council and to know where the chief executive wants to go."
What Norfolk county council does to achieve this is not rocket science but does require planning and concerted effort. Email and intranet communications are tailored to different groups, so staff can find all the facts they need without having to wade through reams of information. A monthly "core brief" is also cascaded through all levels of management, which individual managers localise to their specific context, clarifying the implications for their teams. This is generally done face-to-face, although each assistant director will decide what is most appropriate for their service. So for employees who work remotely, there is a phone number they can dial to listen to a pre-recorded brief from a senior manager in their service. This had proven to be very popular, as it involves employees who may otherwise miss out on key communications.
But employees need more than just information. People also identify with organisations on an emotional level and a key component in this is trust. It is therefore important that leaders remain visible, enabling employees to develop a personal connection with them. At Norfolk county council, the chief executive does this through a weekly blog, read by thousands of employees, where he covers both high-level strategic issues and more personal things, such as partners he has worked with, people he has met and things he has read. He also attends management forums and employee road-shows.
Face-to-face dialogue with leaders is an excellent way of maintaining their visibility and fostering trust. It allows employees to air their concerns, feel that they've been heard and have their questions answered in (hopefully) a personable way that really makes sense. For this reason, Norfolk county council specifically designs road-shows to allow space for such reflection, discussion and feedback. The size of such forums and road-shows varies depending on the subject. For example, a recent road-show on the vision for a different type of council was run with large groups of a few hundred employees. By contrast, dialogue on redesigning specific aspects of services would typically be led by assistant directors for far smaller groups. In addition to these techniques, the council sets up reference groups that act as sounding boards. Here, employees from a range of functions are selected by managers, typically on the basis of who they think will provide good insight, to meet with senior leaders to discuss specific aspects of strategy, change programmes or communication.
Equally important is helping employees to have a "line of sight" from their jobs to the organisation's aims; or, put differently, to understand the bigger picture and see how their own roles feed into the organisation's broader strategy. It is especially important in times of change, when employees typically want to hold on to what they know and value. If this "line of sight" is not present, employees are less likely to give their full support to implementing new systems and processes. For employees themselves, it can appear that their efforts to deliver quality services are being undermined, making them feel disillusioned and disaffected.
Pride and strength of purpose are also key assets for councils as they manage cuts and work through tough changes. We found a number of council employees who cared deeply about the reputation of their organisation and the services it provides. One employee explained, "The press likes to bash local authority staff, but I think we work really hard here, and we work really well and the stuff that we do is worth shouting about." They added: "In those situations, I'm always geared up to defend the council and what we do."
The challenge is to move forward while remaining rooted in core values, so that a sense of shared purpose can be built and protected. In this way, constants such as the inherent dedication and loyalty of employees can be harnessed to support change. It may not be an easy path, but there are several things that can help. With clear messages on organisational priorities, open dialogue that gives employees a voice and explicit value placed on the work people do, local authorities should be able to maintain employee engagement, a vital ingredient in successful change.
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