Overcoming Change Fatigue: Equipping Employees For Success

Organizational changes are omnipresent. Yet change seems to be happening quickly - and sometimes without regard to our mental well-being. This can be overwhelming and stressful - and often leads to change fatigue.

Because change fatigue can impact your employees and their performance, it's important to learn the right steps to help employees cope.

In this blog we address this:

• What change fatigue looks like in the workplace
• The signs and symptoms
• How to help your employees deal with change fatigue
• Methods for preventing their negative effects

What is change fatigue?

In the workplace, change fatigue can take the form of confusion, stress, burnout, or even passive aggressiveness.

Change fatigue is typically the result of top-down, management-driven change efforts - or when employees need to adjust their behavior or practices but don't understand why it's necessary.

Even if employees understand the rationale for change initiatives, this fatigue can set in if there are too many changes beyond their control.

The signs and symptoms of change fatigue

If your employees seem stressed or employee engagement is declining, the cause may not be immediately apparent.

It could be a bad manager. It could be personal stress factors. But perhaps fatigue with change is actually the reason for this.

Aside from a general feeling of apathy, there are some specific things you can notice when your employees are suffering from change fatigue:

• Overwhelming cynicism and skepticism when discussing your change initiatives
• Constantly questioning the intentions of your senior executives
• General distrust of your change management team (sometimes accompanied by ridicule or slander)

If you recognize these attitudes in communication with your employees, you can identify change fatigue early and address it immediately.

However, if change fatigue is left untreated, it can:

• Quickly spread to other employees
• Creating a toxic work environment riddled with mistrust
• Lead to the loss of employees - even experienced, high-performing employees
  

Strategies for Overcoming Change Fatigue

If you clearly lack the willingness to address organizational root causes, here's what you as a leader can do to help employees struggling with change.

1.Acknowledge and acknowledge employee feelings

If your employees resist or if you know that they are unhappy, you should reach out to them and show understanding for their feelings.

Let them know that you know the changes will be difficult. Then point them toward the desired goal and help them imagine that future state from a positive perspective.

2.Celebrate small successes

When you lead change initiatives, small victories become big successes over time. For employees who struggle with change, acknowledge even the smallest successes as often as possible.

Point out when these people are on the right track with their work and attitude, and encourage them to keep up the good momentum.

3.Recognize contributions and encourage a sense of ownership

Sometimes it's helpful to highlight employees' contributions and the important role their feedback can play in implementing change.

Explain that you view them as key stakeholders and that their insights will inform your decision-making.

If you make them feel included in the planning process (and not just the implementation process), your employees will feel more accountable and may re-engage.

When a more direct approach is required

These positive approaches to dealing with employees' fatigue with change usually work and get them back on track quickly.

After all, emotional intelligence, healthy reorientation and future orientation can be just as contagious as the worst form of change fatigue.

However, there are times when a more direct approach is necessary with employees who have become particularly cynical or who have a large influence on the rest of your team.

In such situations, it is worth having a personal conversation with the employee in which you tell him or her:

• You can see that the employee is dissatisfied with the change process or at least with his or her part in the work.
• Their behavior affects the group.
• You want to resolve the issue and make adjustments that will help the employee become positively engaged in their work again.
• You must be a leader and a good role model for your employees.

When necessary, this more direct response to employee change fatigue can be very effective, as long as you continue to show empathy while clearly articulating your company's expectations.

What can you do to prevent change fatigue?

In the early stages of implementing organizational change, you have the opportunity to lead in a way that prevents change fatigue and its negative effects from becoming a problem for you.

Here are some ways to stop change fatigue before it sets in.

1.Control the pace of change

It is good practice to manage both the number and frequency of change initiatives introduced in your organization.

So, as the person responsible for change, you should consider:

• Do any desired organizational changes we want to implement need to happen as quickly as possible?
• Can you introduce each change in phases that are easier to manage over time?

Introducing a series of changes gradually will give your employees time to rest and avoid exhaustion.

You should also plan breaks at each stage of your change plan to prevent burnout (e.g. one day a week to set aside change projects and focus on regular tasks).

2.Communicate a lot to keep employees engaged

Communicate change plans early and often with everyone affected by them. Your employees need to know:

• What is planned and why
• When the change will take place
• What you can expect

This information will help you address employee fears of change, which are often based on the unknown and later turn into fears of change.

Another important part of communicating about change is encouraging employee feedback throughout the process. Depending on the size of your company, this could include company culture surveys, focus groups, or sessions focused on gathering information from employees.

Remember: When you ask employees for feedback, you want them to feel that their ideas and suggestions are not only heard, but also considered and sometimes even implemented.

3.Reinforce a culture of improvement and innovation

Companies that align their culture with the values of improvement and innovation tend to cope well with change when it is necessary.

Be open when employees offer ideas for improving processes. Encourage their creativity to give them confidence in their ability to effect change and adapt quickly when necessary.

As a leader, it is your responsibility to protect your employees from change fatigue and the detrimental effects it can have on your company.

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