Managing A Changing Business Environment together. You can do this by listening and inviting them to evaluate changes. • Changes you make should always bring direct or indirect benefits to your staff and customers. Having said that, staff should always be your number Getting organised one priority. As you are all in this together, as a team, you will need to think about who • Involve your team fully when developing and planning long-term to involve in terms of specific duties, whether on the shop floor or in admin, change. They will feel valued. It is and how to set in motion the changes proven that when staff feel valued their motivation and success levels rocket. you want, and need, to implement. Happy staff means happy customers. This is crucial because an individual • Keep changes at a pace and level team member’s legitimate fears and you and your team can cope with; you concerns may include: don’t want to come unstuck. There are • The emotional roller coaster limits to growth in a small business, • Unfamiliar territory and it is important to recognise them • The future of their job and work within those parameters. • Their future status • You should always aim to foster • An increased workload. fresh, vibrant change. Sometimes • Lack of control radical change is needed to meet the Where there is no demonstrable needs of ever-changing and dynamic resistance – it may be hidden. It is markets. your job to gently probe to discover • Successful bridal retailers and other any issues that may arise later in this bridal industry professionals don’t process. stand still. Constantly evolving to delight and inspire their customers and Tips for managing and embracing becoming the ongoing market leader change with your team • Don’t forget to plan changes. Include is one of the great keys to success. And in turn, how fabulous to have a positives, negatives, short- and longterm goals, and provide any new skills team of dedicated, passionate staff sharing your vision and goals for the training that may be required. business. • Avoid involving team members, too, • Analyse changes you have made early as you don’t want to create a over the past few years. Were they climate of nervousness, or anxietysuccessful? Which changes need laden staff, which can spill onto the modifying again? shop floor, undoubtedly impacting Focus on key areas first, master them negatively on customers. • Remember, resistance or criticism of and then expand more widely as changes become the norm. The more change by staff can be well founded. Everyone is going to have an opinion. It you embrace changes the easier it will is important to overcome resistance or become. • Draw your team in using education challenges by working through them well like things just the way they are/ always have been, and that is also normal. Even more of a reason to have a plan in place.
All too often, when we’re wrapped up in running a business, changes that could and should be made can be overlooked. This is a mistake, and one to be avoided, says Helena Cotter
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s business owners, we can be resistant to change, wanting to stay put and do things the way we’ve always done them. This is understandable, because we all get comfortable and settled in our ways and habits. Change can sometimes be viewed as difficult and time consuming. When we get stuck in a rut – or in the past – we will inevitably have to play catch up, while trading at a competitive disadvantage. And any staff you employ may
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