Organizational changes can be abrupt and may take different forms. The forms may include philosophical alterations, downsizing of the labor force and change in the general protocol and management. The motivation of the employees aims at keeping the morale of the employees steadfast to ensure steady output and quality delivery. It is, however, difficult to keep every employee happy amidst change and hence as a manager, one has to keep tabs with the opinions and personal development of every employee. It is the responsibility of the manager to provide a conducive environment for the workers to feel challenged and properly engage in their work. The paper will focus on various motivational methods to lead and implement change in an organization.
To facilitate a smooth transition during changes in an organization, a manager must motivate the employees through facilitating learning. Learning is very important in familiarizing the employees with the changes and increasing their knowledge in that regards. Sources of knowledge could be through carrying out workshops, orientations and creating portals for reading online resources in line with the new changes. Learning will, therefore, improve the employees' emotional maturity, increase their integrity and their involvement will give them a sense of belonging as far as the goals of the organization are concerned. Therefore the employees will feel part and parcel of the investment and hence will show a higher degree of motivation and will, therefore, be autonomous in dealing with the dynamics of the organization. A smoother transition will, therefore, be guaranteed and this will help the company increase their productivity. For instance, in the case of downsizing the workforce in a given organization, the manager will be tasked with the duty to ensure that the remaining workers are not demoralized regarding being overworked. Therefore the manager will ensure learning activities to orient the workers on their new demands and assure them that they will not be burdened by the new alterations (Goetsch & David 2014).
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Another key way of ensuring employee motivation during an organizational realignment is keeping communication open and efficient. Transparency removes fears of doubt during changes and allows the workers to feel more involved with the organization's new undertakings. Information can be personal through manager-employee talk, scheduling a question and answer session with the employees to direct them to the potential areas of changes and also by using letters and open memos. Proper information is vital in dealing with the frequent instances of rumors in an organization that may be detrimental to the morale and the general output of the employees. As a manager dealing with transition, speaking plainly and avoiding hesitation is important in avoiding ambiguity and vagueness which will consequently remove confusion among the general workforce. Open and positive communication ensures motivation among the workers during changes and may also lead to the employees feeling confident in contributing their input that may help in the transition. Still, on the example of reducing the workforce in an organization, a manager should ensure timely communication through formal pathways to the employees to give them enough time to adjust. In the case of a change in philosophy or general operations, communication will ensure employees are conversant with the new requirements and hence they will become even more motivated to face the new challenges of the company. Constant communication also builds trust between the employers and employees and therefore in the process of implementing change, communication will only be viewed as an extension of culture (Jakobsen & Jensen 2015).
As a manager, it is also critical to ensure that in the process of stating the organizational goals, the goals of the employees must also be considered. During an organizational change, aligning the aims of the individual employee with those of the company may prove vital in lifting their spirits to work. Outlining the goals of the business for instance ‘Quality health care delivery,' workers can align to the demands of providing a health care service that is not short of quality and in so doing their personal desires will also be providing quality in the organization. The employees who understand the goals of the organizations well will work harder to meet those outlined requirements. However, when the goals do not clearly define the requirements of the company the employees will not work as harder as in when the goals are clear. Therefore, every manager has a moral duty to ensure that the positive influence of the objectives in an organization has an impact on the workers for an improved efficiency as asserted by Pinder (2014).
To conclude, it is critical to note that organizational changes majorly have an impact on the culture, the strategies and the management of the workforce. It is a very delicate moment in the life cycle of an organization and can be referred as the make or break point. The overall changes in a company have got a principal impact on the minds of the employees. Therefore a manager has got a pretty significant role in ensuring that the backbone of the success of the company is well catered for. Proper motivation not only helps the company achieve maximum output but also gives the employer a sense of belonging ensuring that they are always happy. However, the process of motivation may also seem delicate and if poorly managed, the organization may lose their best employees due to lack of confidence and therefore impacting negatively on the output.
References
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Jakobsen, M., & Jensen, R. (2015). Common method bias in public management studies. International Public Management Journal , 18 (1), 3-30.
Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior . Psychology Press.
