Making the change stick

Reconciling that there is a better way to do things is the first step; bringing your team along the journey is the second step, but making the improvement last is the challenge.

Some businesses introduce new systems and procedures, only to find that a few weeks later, everyone has returned to the old way of doing things.

Often enough, the change simply was not given enough time, structure and support to continue, and employees felt safer to return to their old ways.

Communicate

Be very clear about what you are trying to change/solve. Are you trying to reduce errors, save processing time, improve customer satisfaction, or improve staff satisfaction?

When everyone in the business understands what the change is meant to achieve, it becomes easier to implement as there is a clear purpose and intent.

For example, “We, ABC Limited, want to implement an automated time-recording system to replace the current handwritten timesheets. The existing process has resulted in a number of payroll errors, with staff chasing others for timesheets and keying information. The new system will help improve accuracy, reduce the risk of mistakes, ensure employees are paid correctly, and, stop the double handling of information!

Give Someone Ownership

Changes often lose momentum when everyone just assumes someone else is responsible for making it work.

Assign a clear owner to manage the change. This person can be the Director's lead by answering any questions, tracking progress, gathering staff feedback, and ensuring the new approach isn’t lost to old ways creeping back in.  The lead becomes the process cheerleader, champion or most knowledgeable person depending on your workplace culture.

Without project ownership, the changes and improvements can be forgotten.

Settling in time

Everyone learns differently and at different paces; people may need time to build confidence, remember new steps and understand how the change fits into their daily work routine. Expecting instant results is unrealistic.

Give your team time to learn, practise, and accept that there will be a short adjustment period between transitions.

Learn from other business mistakes; for instance, when doing the background research for a technology change or adoption project, you won’t give the project lead role to the most conservative or tech-phobic person.  If you do, they will recommend no change, or they won’t have the confidence to motivate adoption.

Make it easy to follow

The new process needs to be easy and clear for people to follow; otherwise, they naturally resist.

Providing simple instructions, checklists, templates, and demonstrations where necessary will help people to understand the process. The easier it is to follow, the more it will be accepted.

A good process will make work life simpler.

Check ins

People using the process every day will often notice practical issues that were not obvious at the outset.

Do regular check-ins with the people directly affected, set times to review how it's working, ask if anything is causing frustration and whether things need to be adjusted or tweaked to make things flow better.

Measure the outcomes

Measure the outcomes that the new process has produced, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this change better than the system we had previously?

• Has this process made our load simpler?

• Are we making fewer mistakes?

• Is our communication clear?

• Has feedback been received positively?

It doesn’t need to be a complex measure; simple comparisons and discussions of the before-and-after of the change are efficient.

Celebrate results

When the change starts to show results, share them with the team so they know it’s working.

Celebrating the progress reinforces why the change was worthwhile and shows employees that their contributions mattered.

A thank-you, a mention at a team meeting, or a small celebration can create positive momentum and encourage people to approach future improvements with greater confidence.

The key message is simple:

Making change that lasts requires motivation, clear purpose and consistent support to keep it running successfully.

Lasting improvement is not created by one big decision. It is created by small changes that are supported, repeated, and strengthened over time.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personalised business or tax advice.