Why change requires a new way of thinking

Many are now aware that the economy and technology do not always develop in a linear manner. But many developments are disruptive, i.e. due to large and rapid changes. But in order to initiate these changes, companies need a new way of thinking.

In conversations, I notice again and again that there are many executives who would like to initiate changes in their companies. And even the “normal” employees are in many cases not averse to thinking about changes.

In addition, what needs to be changed is often relatively clear. But why is it then so difficult in a company to introduce or strengthen thinking about change?

Company: No time and no space for change

I think you have to realize that in many companies there is no time and no space to deal with changes and to think about them. On the one hand, changes change the status quo, which involves effort.

On the other hand, many employees are busy with their daily work, so working on changes would be an additional activity. And then, of course, there are those who have long since given up thinking about change because they are disappointed that it is not happening when it might even be necessary.

So what can companies do to get their employees to think about change and then articulate their thoughts? At this point one more tip: I don’t want to presume to have the only comprehensive answer to this question.

But I am fortunate to be able to get to know many companies because of my work as a commercial lawyer and was therefore able to see what is being done in some to promote disruptive thinking and what is not being done in others and therefore leads to lethargy and fear of the future .

And I have to say at this point that it is not always the start-ups that are encouraged to think about change. Fortunately, I also know a few medium-sized companies that use very effective measures to promote change thinking.

Change: companies without fear

Those companies that promote change thinking are often those that not only promote such thinking through certain measures and activities, but also take away the fear of employees from even dealing with changes, because the employees do not see any problems in the changes, but Opportunities.

For example, if employees are afraid of losing their jobs as a result of the change, then their commitment to change leading to that outcome will be limited.

On the one hand, it is therefore important to emphasize the positive, especially directly for the employees concerned, and at the same time to activate thinking.

serious intentions

In order to create a basis for dealing with change, companies must first show that they are serious about it. And that takes time. It is not enough to suddenly announce that changes and the resulting innovations in the company are now at stake.

In the long term, companies must commit to promoting change thinking and not just offering a “change workshop” once a year. And this commitment requires an alignment of the entire company and a change in mindset.

This cannot be done in a workshop or seminar, especially if only a few “interested” employees are taking part. Because this does not result in any serious changes if the day-to-day business regains priority.

Changes: creating and promoting trust

Then companies have to create the trust and continue to promote that changes in the company are desired at all. It is often more the case that the desire for change is talked about, but this is not taken seriously when employees then give concrete tips and suggestions for such changes.

This includes appropriate communication channels, the involvement of the top management, feedback systems and the implementation of change thinking in the company processes.

Thinking about change must not be something that takes place outside of the normal processes in a company, but requires immediate integration into day-to-day business and must become an accepted matter of course.

take suggestions seriously

When suggestions come from employees, it is important to show that these suggestions have an impact and are not just produced “for the bin”. Employees often have no idea what happens after they initiate a change.

This creates frustration in the long run, because they quickly get the feeling that the company is not serious about introducing changes. Companies could therefore, for example, introduce a kind of “dashboard” in which all suggestions are displayed and the status of the processing is recognizable.

In addition, edited, i.e. old, suggestions do not disappear, but can be traced again and again in the dashboard, so that you can always fall back on these suggestions.

Change: Valuing employee ideas

In addition, it is important to value these suggestions with employees so that they see that the company thinks it is important that they work on change.

By this I do not mean that companies directly pay money for those employees who initiate changes. But it should become standard that these employees are mentioned, highlighted and recognizable in the company.

However, this may also mean that these employees then explain their idea directly to the management and not just to their immediate superior, who then passes the idea on. And it also means that hierarchies and structures in companies are broken up and broken under certain circumstances.

Changing working methods and processes in companies

Finally, it requires changes in the way employees work. Because in order to work on it, they need the appropriate freedom that lies outside of normal day-to-day business. If employees are busy every minute of their day-to-day business, then they won’t also deal with change.

Rather, there is a need for freedom that is built into day-to-day work. The day of the week at Google is famous here, when employees can deal with what they want to deal with – regardless of whether it directly benefits the company.

Companies could of course adopt this, for example by giving their employees free time to “think”. However, they could also offer special discussion formats, provide “try & error rooms” for experiments or carry out activities that stimulate the creativity of their employees. Ultimately, it’s about employees being torn out of their everyday work to deal with the question “What if…”.

Conclusion: changes and a new way of thinking

I often read that change is necessary. But companies must also be open to this. Changes do not happen overnight, but arise from an environment conducive to change.

Introducing one when established structures are in place requires time and new processes. Every company has to find this for itself. In my observation, the above five points are a good start to making a company more receptive to change.

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