Lessons I’ve learned from managing change

In my time at ONS, I’ve led some ambitious changes which have highlighted the fact that whilst crucial, change can sometimes be challenging. There are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way which I hope will help colleagues through managing change.

Put people at the heart of change and put yourself in their shoes

I have found it really helpful to speak to colleagues who have recently been through a change process about what has worked well for them and what they would have done differently. It’s helped me to see change from a different perspective, and to develop the way that I communicate it. Creating safe spaces for colleagues to share constructive thoughts and feedback will really help you to understand what they need.

Adapt in action

It’s important to remember that change isn’t set in stone: we need to be agile to adapt what we’ve put in place if it isn’t working. Make sure that you’re listening and acting where needed. You can demonstrate that you’re listening to colleagues by keeping them informed about what will actually change in ‘what and when’ timelines and showing them that you’re willing to adapt your plans based on what they notice.

For example, when my team went through organisational change in light of budget restraints, we quickly shared a first draft of the action plan with colleagues. We made it clear we really wanted their thoughts and contributions. Within two weeks we shared a second version with the changes suggested by colleagues, so they could see we were genuinely listening and didn’t have all the answers. It’s important that if you’re leading change, you have a clear direction and vision, and that colleagues can feed into the ‘how’.

Remember that there will always be some people who are strongly for or against the change. Listen to their feedback, but not let them dominate your thoughts and attentions – draw on the support that you have, as you will usually find there is plenty.

Act on your vision with support from others

Articulate your vision and why you’re going through change. Use your team’s language to keep it simple and personal, rather than depersonalising it. Everyone will be going through the change curve at different times and different paces: you might have been planning this change in your head for a long time, but it’s important you give others time to catch up. It can be helpful to pull together a working group with different skills to help communicate and embed change. This could include business support, human resources, senior leaders, finance partners or even unions – they’ll all bring different perspectives to the mix.

Support colleagues through the change

If the change is difficult, or requires a lot of movement from colleagues, make sure that there is support in place for them. I really tried to put myself in colleagues’ shoes to ensure the right support was available. Some colleagues have since shared with me that change helped them get out of a rut and into a new role, which has given them a boost, but I’m sure others will be less positive.

Change is important to our growth. As a result of large-scale changes, we have developed statistical methods skills in a large proportion of our colleagues and given them more rewarding work as a result. We’ve seen colleagues enjoy the benefits of using their skills in their work, such as with the reproducible analytical pipelines, and many have secured promotions using the capabilities we’ve built through change. Line managers have developed skills with colleagues from new backgrounds alongside mentors, to support their development. We now have a much more diverse skillset which has improved outputs and developed colleagues’ skills.

Overcoming personal hurdles

Life interacts with our work, and it’s important to recognise that sometimes, colleagues are overcoming more than the immediate change, even for those leading it. Personally, I became perimenopausal when I was managing some of my biggest changes. I started getting anxiety for the first time in my life, really bad sleep, and lack of confidence, which wasn’t great timing when I was new to a team and trying to take them through change. Pulling on my resilience and reaching out for support really helped me through this. I have since become a menopause ambassador, and this has really helped me to understand the impact that wider physical and mental health issues can have on your ability to work as effectively as you’d like to.

Final thought

My key takeaway is that change, whether approached rapidly or more gradually, presents its own set of challenges. However, delaying decisions can often amplify difficulties. It is essential to make bold choices when necessary, and once you have the right information, act with confidence, efficiency and most importantly, with integrity.

Resources for supporting you through change 

You can learn more about change in the Business Change Strategy.

If you’re struggling with changes, you can access support by speaking to your line manager, through colleague networks, life event support, or through the employee assistance programme.