In businesses big and small, change is inevitable. Change in your convenience store might be brought about by circumstances beyond your control, as it has this year, or you may initiate it to move the company toward its goals. No matter what you’re dealing with, implementing change requires you to get buy-in and participation from your staff. Here are some ideas to do it right.
Identify Change Stakeholders
Every change has a set of stakeholders. These are people who will be impacted by the change. In a convenience store, this will likely include your employees and other managers and very often includes customers, too. When you clearly identify the stakeholders in the outcome, you can then identify the challenges and resolve conflicts that may arise.
Communicate Openly and Honestly
The process of implementing change is rarely pleasant, but it will be easier on everyone if you communicate about it openly. Be honest about the reason for the change, the consequences of not changing, and the long-term benefits to all stakeholders. Share information that led you to the change, such as the results of a gap analysis, productivity issues in the work environment, or changes in HR compliance laws governing your sales. When stakeholders understand the “why,” they are more likely to be open to the “what” and the “how.”
Provide Employee Training
Information is a critical component in implementing change. Be prepared with online training to kick off a major change in your store and use team meetings and on-the-job training for follow up. You simply cannot expect your employees to accept change – let alone implement it – if you don’t give them the tools they need to do so.
Recognize the Change Cycle
The process people go through to accept change is called the change cycle. It can include steps such as resistance, denial, questioning, discomfort, discovery, understanding, and finally, acceptance. The cycle looks different, and moves at a different pace, for everyone. As a leader, you must respect each employee’s process and help them work through it at their own pace.
When it comes to implementing change, it’s better to do it right than to do it fast. When you are willing to the take the time your staff needs to implement change, you’ll show them how important the change is to your organization.
Manager Training for Implementing Change
Well-trained managers are more capable to accept and implement change. Our convenience store manager training delivers valuable training topics, such as communication and critiquing your store, tailored specifically to your assistant managers, store managers, and district managers. Click here for more information.
