Is your company ready for change?
Forge Ahead is an awareness program spearheaded by the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce and supported by ACOA. This program is working to raise awareness among Atlantic Canadian business owners of the immense potential of implementing smart technological solutions. For this to happen companies need to embrace change.
We all know change in life can be challenging and stepping out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable…but we cannot grow if we do not change. This is especially true in the workplace where change can impact numerous people and their daily functions. However, this does not mean we should shy away from making changes that will lead to positive results down the road.
Maybe automation will lead to greater productivity for manufacturing companies or maybe smart technologies will positively impact the bottom line of a company or maybe robotic applications will minimize downtime in a facility.
The reality is that Atlantic Canadian manufacturing companies are at risk of losing global competitiveness and falling behind if they do not embrace advanced manufacturing.
While change in the workplace is never easy, there are organizations that can help. For example, ACOA has a team of experienced Officers that can help your company embrace a culture of change. Change will not be successful if internal buy-in is lacking, and change that is not well organized will have little opportunity for success.
Experts commonly recommend the “ADKAR” approach to change management.
There first needs to be an AWARENESS that something is or isn’t working in your organization, the DESIRE to look at different options and the KNOWLEDGE to embrace learning new skills. From there, ACTION in small and measured amounts is recommended and then REINFORCEMENT to share positive or negative experiences and learn from mistakes to course correct for the future.
Change takes time and commitment from an organization and there will always be a learning curve to work out glitches and re-train employees as necessary. Management and employees need to be committed to the process and give it time to work.
