Change Fatigue doesn't come from too much change. It's caused by lack of clarity.
A lot of organisations today are experiencing several levels of change. They're implementing new technology; they're changing their priorities; and they're introducing new tools to help employees do their jobs better.
All these changes are usually business outcome-focused, with little, if any, thought put into the effects this could personally have on your team's life. Change without direction or instruction leads to overwhelm and fatigue. Aka, Burnout.
Employees aren't feeling overwhelmed by the number of changes happening. What is overwhelming them is the lack of certainty about what those changes mean to them.
When expectations are clear, employees know exactly what they need to accomplish. They know who makes the decisions regarding the work they do, and they know where to put their attention. During times of change (when we experience high volumes of uncertainty), our normal sources of direction can become unstable. The way things were yesterday may no longer apply tomorrow. The priorities may have changed. The new direction may not yet be defined. New information is constantly coming into play and isn't always related to your daily job duties. As a result, people begin to "compensate."
People begin to ask questions. People seek additional approvals. People wait until the last minute to make decisions. All of this creates a sense of safety. However, it also creates delay and raises stress. Eventually, work still happens. But over time, sustaining work becomes more difficult.
We are living in a time where change has never occurred so quickly.
The biggest example of this rapid rate of change is AI. Many organisations see AI as a new tool. However, we believe most organisations recognise that it represents a larger movement towards a different way of doing work.
Leaders are making decisions today about AI, wanting employees to be involved and engaged with this process. Yet, leaders are still defining and clarifying the role of employees in the use of AI and other technological advancements. As a result, a level of uncertainty sits in the office while people question what’s both right and wrong.
So how can teams succeed during times of change?
There is one attribute that successful teams exhibit during times of change. That is clarity. Successful teams have clarity around:
Priorities - for the short-term.
Decision-making processes at each employee level.
Definition of what success looks like across the organisation and personally.
Clarity doesn't eliminate the pressures of change. Clarity helps reduce the uncertainty surrounding the change. When employees feel certain about their roles and responsibilities, they are more capable of taking action, making decisions and maintaining momentum.
Strong leadership doesn’t happen by accident. Evolve works with healthcare organisations to design leadership practices that are sustainable, practical and embedded into everyday operations. Get in touch if you want support building that foundation.