Supporting staff during change

Looking after staff during change
By Jacqui Tibbits, Consultivation Director

Source: Pixabay

Fast sweeping reforms and tides of change are moving through the community services sectors at great knots. From Government policy, to growing (and changing) customer demands and the unpredictability of whether WA will transition to the Commonwealth’s NDIS and aged care national structures contributes to an air of uncertainty.

It feels like these changes have been gathering pace for some time but it also feels they are coming together to form a perfect storm. For some organisations, these changes have executive teams managing risk and organising contingency plans and for other organisations executives are trying to keep up with the pace and understand the implications for their business.

One important factor to consider during these changing times are staff and volunteers. When I have facilitated workshops, support workers and volunteers raise concerns regarding company changes. Sometimes staff and volunteers don’t understand why the change is occurring, or they haven’t understood the messages given to them by managers or team leaders contributing to resistance.

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There is also anger present when staff and volunteers feel clients are being unduly affected; and stress levels increase if they are unsure about their own future.  As the daily face and client connector it is essential staff and volunteers are appropriately supported through change.

To help organisations, Consultivation provides tailored consultancy services to support companies and staff during change. Our services include workshops to help managers, staff and volunteers to work within a changing environment, and in particular to support the community services sector, Consultivation has designed three interactive workshops:

1.       Help Me! I’m Working within Change

2.       Preparing for Change

3.       Preparing Government Funded Organisations for Change


Help me! I'm Working within Change focuses on staff and volunteers providing an opportunity to reflect on change, its impact on them and those around them increasing their awareness. It also provides opportunities to identify areas for improvement and positive self-help strategies when responding to change. The workshop explores change on a personal level with participant learning being drawn from activities, self-reflection and peer discussions and is great for a team building exercise!

Preparing for Change provides an opportunity for managers and supervisors to reflect on change, its impact on them and those around them increasing their awareness and identifying areas for improvement. This workshop explores change management models with participant learning being drawn from activities, self-reflection and peer discussions. 

Preparing Government Funded Organisations for Change is a practical workshop designed for Managers and Coordinators of government funded organisations to identify and plan for change associated with business, workforce and services operations in an environment of continued reform.

Source: Pixabay

All workshops can be tailored to meet your needs and we’re happy for you to connect with other businesses to run joint sessions. Alternatively, brief interactive modules can be delivered at a staff meeting; and we are able to work with boards and executive management teams.

As part of a strategic change management plan good, clear and transparent stakeholder communication is essential. As part of this plan, have Consultivation help you deliver your message by creating a calm and safe atmosphere where staff and volunteers can raise their concerns, share their feelings and discuss the positives of change.  This opportunity will help reduce resistance to change and embed sustainable change by improving the skills, knowledge and ability of your staff group in understanding change and their response to it. 

Staff and volunteers need to be nourished and supported during these changing seas to keep the company engine working and the organisation staying its course. Their ability to stay strong, resilient and positive yet flexible to organisational, client and their own needs during change is essential for your business success.

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Consultivation is an independent consultancy service driven by an ethical values base 
supporting businesses and people to flourish in the community and aged care sectors. 
If you would like to know how Consultivation can help you contact us today.