Change fatigue: four ways to reduce the impact, cut through the noise and support your people when they are over it
"The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again." Justin Trudeau, World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018
Let’s face it; over the past two years employers and employees alike have had to absorb a lot of major change. Even for those businesses who weathered the pandemic mostly unscathed, it’s likely that there were still more changes that needed to be dealt with over a 24-month period than typical.
Bearing all this change in mind - not to mention, constant concerns about the economy, job security, personal health, and the health of loved ones - it comes with little surprise that it’s starting to take a toll. In fact, in a recent survey of HR leaders by Gartner, in 2022, more than half (54%) of those surveyed reported that their people are suffering from ‘change fatigue’.
While change is an essential part of any organisation's growth and development, it can also be challenging for employees to adapt to ongoing changes. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, employees can become overwhelmed, burnt out, and resistant to new initiatives.
This phenomenon, known as change fatigue - a general sense of apathy, resistance, or passive resignation toward organisational change - can have significant consequences for organisational success.
In this article, we will explore four practical ways to reduce the impact of change fatigue, cut through the noise, and support employees to change even when they are over it. From clear communication to creating a culture of change readiness, we will share actionable strategies that can help your organisation navigate change more effectively and support your people to thrive in the face of ongoing change.
What is change fatigue?
Change fatigue is the term used to describe the exhaustion and frustration that can result from the constant implementation of new initiatives, organisation structures, policies, and procedures in an organisation. It occurs when employees become overwhelmed or resistant to change due to the frequency or magnitude of changes, or when they perceive that the changes are not meaningful or do not align with the organisation's goals. Change fatigue can lead to decreased motivation, engagement, and productivity among employees, and it can hinder the success of new initiatives.
What you can do about it - Four factors that make change easier to handle
According to the Gartner research, the best approach to managing change and reducing change fatigue is to focus on how employees experience change, not just the outcomes of changed behaviours.
By clearly outlining the desired experience first, leaders can then work backwards to identify the specific change actions required. In our experience, working with many organisations of varying sizes through change, these are the top four key things we recommend businesses keep in mind to minimise change impact, cut through the noise, and help your people.
Understand the big picture.
When it comes to managing change in an organisation, it's important to consider the big picture and not just focus on the obvious changes. When we say, ‘the big picture’, we mean all the internal and external factors that are affecting the organisation and employees. This could include broader market trends, strategic direction, current industry landscape and the competitive environment.
By understanding this big picture, you can provide context and perspective for the changes that are happening. This means communicating not just the specific changes but also the reasons behind them and how they fit into the larger picture. This will help employees understand how their work contributes to the organisation's overall goals and success.
Additionally, understanding the big picture means being aware of all the changes that are happening in the organisation, not just the big and obvious ones. This includes changes in leadership, changes in organisational structure, changes in processes, and changes in policies.
Armed with this information you can:
Demonstrate to your audience that you recognise all the changes they are experiencing and that you are working to minimise impact as much as possible.
Intentionally plan change activity around significant milestones related to other changes. For example, if there is a restructure being announced, you wouldn’t communicate about your change in the same week.
Align and consolidate change management activities where possible. For example, if there is training being rolled out for a new technology system and you have related process changes to communicate, these changes could be communicated within the technology training.
Understand the priorities and motivations.
It's important to understand the priorities and motivations of the audience (in this case, employees) who will be affected by the change. Every employee is unique and may have different priorities and motivations, which can impact how they react to change.
By understanding the priorities and motivations of your employees, you can engage them in a way that suits them. This means tailoring your communication and engagement strategies to address their concerns and interests. For example, some employees may be motivated by a desire for job security, while others may be motivated by opportunities for growth and development. Some employees may be more receptive to data-driven arguments, while others may respond better to emotional appeals.
It's not possible to understand the needs of every single employee but by undertaking activities such as focus groups, change readiness surveys and empathy mapping, you can ensure you’re not doing your change management planning based on assumptions only.
When you understand the priorities and motivations of your audience, you can engage them in a way that resonates with them and helps them to see the benefits of the change.
Do less and do it well.
Focus and plan around what people ‘need’ to know, rather than everything you could tell them. This means being selective and strategic about the information you communicate to employees, rather than overwhelming them with too much information.
To achieve this, it's important to do less and do it well. This means prioritising the most important information and focusing on communicating it effectively. This can involve simplifying complex information, breaking it down into smaller, more digestible pieces, and using clear and concise language.
In addition to prioritising information, it's important to plan around what people 'need' to know. This means identifying the most critical information that employees need to know to do their jobs effectively and communicate it clearly and consistently. It also means avoiding unnecessary information or 'nice-to-know' information that can distract or confuse employees.
By doing less and doing it well, you can help employees focus on the most important information and avoid feeling overwhelmed or confused by too much information.
Provide information in a way that works for your audience.
Different employees have different preferences and habits when it comes to absorbing information. Some may prefer face-to-face interactions, while others may prefer email or instant messaging. Therefore, it's important to identify the most effective channels for reaching different groups of employees and use more than one channel to ensure that everyone receives the message.
How do you know what the most effective channels are for your particular audience? We recommend asking the audience via a survey or focus groups. Alternatively, if there is an internal communications team, they can often provide advice on the most effective channels.
We recommend having one central source of “truth” such as an intranet site where all information is housed. Then use a variety of channels such as email, team meetings, a social networking tool such as Yammer, Teams, or Slack, and digital posters to communicate simple key messages with a link to the central source for those that want more information.
By selecting the most impactful communication channels and using more than one to get through to everyone, you can increase the effectiveness of your communication and ensure that employees receive the message in a way that suits them.
Conclusion
Change fatigue is a common issue that arises when employees are overwhelmed by continuous changes in the workplace. As a leader, it's crucial to support your employees by reducing the impact of change, cutting through the noise, and providing the necessary support to manage change effectively.
By implementing the four key strategies we’ve outlined in this article, you can help reduce the impact of change fatigue, increase employee engagement and productivity, and ensure a smoother transition for your organisation. Remember, managing change is an ongoing process, and it's important to regularly review and refine your approach to ensure that it remains effective.
By taking a proactive and supportive approach to change management, you can help your employees adapt to change with greater ease and confidence, leading to a more resilient and successful organisation.
Get in touch if you have any questions or would like some more guidance on planning for change.