This is Part 2 of a previous article.

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In this 2 part article Dr. Lise Saugeres and Warren Howard discuss the topics of Organisational Change and Stress. In part 2 Warren and Lise discuss how organisations and staff can use mindfulness techniques to manage and reduce the stress of change.

 

How can organisations reduce the negative impact of stress through change?

Lise: Research evidence has shown that mindfulness training can really help reduce the negative impact of stress on organisations. It can do so in two ways. First, through mindfulness training, staff are given the tools that they need to be able to manage and reduce stress and become more resilient to stress and change.

Second, being mindful also requires the organisation to address structural factors that create potentially stressful situations. For example, if restructuring, creates an environment of job uncertainty, the organisation needs to see what it can do to address this problem. It is not enough to train staff to become more resilient to stress if organisational factors that can cause stress are not minimised.

Warren: Stress doesn’t have to be all negative. Creating a sense of urgency is important for getting things started and for some this may be uncomfortable. Stress brings energy and this energy can be harnessed constructively if there is careful management. By this I mean planning and preparation. Giving forethought to the impact and stresses change may bring and implementing effective measures to deal with these in a timely and sensitive way is important. In terms of employee welfare this can mean having ready access to support when needed.

It also means having clear plans of action and timelines so people can see how and when they will be involved or affected This gives them time to prepare and can eliminate any potentially stressful surprises. And finally, the impact of change should be monitored just as for any KPI or results-based measures. Many change efforts start with an impact analysis or change readiness assessment but once underway that needs to be supplemented with regular organisational check-ups to ensure the patient is surviving the ordeal!

Conclusion

Organisational change can be stressful particularly if there is inadequate attention to its impact on staff. Imagine arriving home one night to find someone else living in your house or to find that your house has been moved to another location. How would you feel, what would you do? Being prepared and emotionally equipped for change enables us to respond better.

Mindfulness techniques can be employed at the individual and organisational level to help reduce stress caused by change. It is a positive way for managers and leaders to take a people-centred approach to improving the success and sustainability of change initiatives in the future.

About Dr Lise Saugeres
Dr Lise Saugeres is the founder and Director of Experiential Mindfulness Melbourne. Lise helps small to medium businesses reduce workplace stress and improve productivity and performance through mindfulness training. Lise has a PhD in the Social Sciences from Manchester, UK, and has had extensive research and training experience in organisations. To find out how Lise can help you and your organisation, visit www.experientialmindfulnessmelbourne.com.au or contact Lise on 0405 067 030.

About Warren Howard
Warren Howard is the Director of Howardco Business + HR Solutions. Warren is a People Management and HR specialist with particular expertise in Workplace Engagement and Change Leadership. Warren has been responsible for medium to large-scale change initiatives in a wide range of industries helping clients with systems integration, restructures, cultural re-alignment and new business ventures. Visit Howardco at www.howardco.com.au or contact Warren on 0417 594 760.