Supporting staff wellbeing through organisational change

I'm so bored with hearing about change.

“I’m sick to the back teeth of everyone speaking about change. Every week, there seems to be another change initiative in one form or another – boring!"

"So what? Who cares about this new idea or that new idea? Not me! Because, guess what? Next week it will all change again, won't it? How can I possibly be expected to be enthusiastic about this latest initiative when, in five minutes, it will be replaced by something else? No one seems to know what they're doing, and there is no consistency... or is there? We'll come back to that later."

"On top of all this organisational change, my home life isn't that great either. I've got family issues, I don't know how to respond to them and what if I end up losing my job too? It feels like I'm only just keeping my head above the choppy water."

Sound familiar?

Perhaps you've heard these words from a member of your team, or perhaps you've said them yourself.

The hidden cost of change

Organisational change can be unsettling for everyone.

Ironically, while change initiatives are usually designed to improve business performance, it's easy to forget the impact they can have on the very people expected to deliver them.

How can we expect people to embrace change if they feel exhausted, anxious or overwhelmed by it?

Sometimes the result is counterproductive. A change programme may promise financial savings, yet staff absence, sickness and disengagement begin to rise. What appears to be gained in one area can easily be lost in another.

So, what is the true cost of change?

I'm not sure anyone can calculate it precisely, but I am sure the real cost is often far greater than expected, both financially and emotionally. While emotional costs are harder to measure, they can have just as much impact on the bottom line.

Supporting people through change

How often, when planning organisational change, do we consider employee wellbeing as an essential part of making that change successful?

How often do we offer people a surfboard to help them ride the waves of change?

I often wonder how much more effective change programmes would be if organisations invested not only in systems and processes but also in supporting people emotionally throughout the journey.

People are not machines. They need time and space to adapt, reflect and make sense of what is happening around them.

Given the right support, people are far better equipped to navigate uncertainty and perform at their best.

Why wellbeing matters

Some changes are personal rather than organisational, and businesses may assume they are none of their concern.

Perhaps they are.

Perhaps they aren't.

What we do know is that happier employees tend to perform better. Supporting people during challenging times can improve morale, strengthen loyalty and reduce absenteeism, all of which have a direct impact on business performance.

Organisations known for genuinely caring about employee wellbeing are also more likely to attract talented people in the future.

A personal experience

I experienced this myself during a particularly challenging period in my home life.

I asked my employer whether I could reduce my hours to a four-day week, and they agreed, adapting my workload accordingly.

The outcome surprised us both.

My productivity increased.

In fact, I achieved more in four days than I had previously managed in five.

It became a genuine win-win situation. The organisation paid me for fewer hours and benefited from increased productivity because I was happier, more focused and had the time I needed to manage my personal circumstances.

Wellbeing is an investment

Thinking about staff wellbeing is anything but a cost; it's an investment.

Your people are one of the most valuable assets your business has. Supporting them through periods of change helps create stronger, healthier and more engaged teams.

After all, how do you create consistency in a constantly changing world?

Or perhaps change itself has become the only constant.

Let's become more proactive in the emotional support we offer our teams and help people learn not just to survive change, but to ride the waves with confidence.

Can you afford not to invest in the emotional well-being of your staff?

What changes could you implement that would have a positive impact on both your people and your business?

Five tips to support staff well-being

• Encourage staff to take regular breaks away from their workstation.
• Encourage movement throughout the day. Motion creates emotion, and even a short walk can help shift someone's mindset. Why not start a lunchtime walking group?
• Create opportunities for laughter. People who laugh together build stronger relationships, and laughter is a powerful way of releasing tension.
• Promote emotional support, such as coaching or counselling from qualified professionals outside the organisation, as a genuine employee benefit.
• Invest in soft skills training delivered by professionals with a positive psychology or coaching background.