The best blog posts of 2014 Protecting your brand during change Source Article: Employment Today 15 August, 2014 If the global financial crisis of recent years has taught employers anything, it has to be that the way in which change is managed is critical to future business success. Regardless of the commercial imperatives that drive the need for change, at no other time is an organisation likely to be so vulnerable. Some employees relish change and the opportunities it might create both personally and professionally. Many, however, resist it, especially if the proposed change seems to make little sense and when personal job security is likely to be threatened. The perceived loss of control, the fear of the unknown and unresolved past or current personal ‘losses’ will likely feed an employee’s negative response to change. When business change leads to redundancy, business risk escalates significantly. Those employees who face retrenchment will often have strong opinions as to how the internal process was managed. As part of the natural process when dealing with loss, many will look to criticise or blame and will often seek out others who are willing to support and share in their negative and sometimes emotionally charged reactions. Enter social media—yesterday’s ‘word of mouth’. It has forever changed the corporate landscape. Ten years ago, an aggrieved employee would have turned to a handful of close friends, or to family or colleagues to share their experience. Today, social networking enables that same employee to communicate to the world. It’s simple to do, the message never goes away, and the damaging effect on a company’s brand is often irreversible.
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