Change is all that I have known since I started working here. I joined as the business direction, ethos and drive was evolving. Change here is seen as a positive – a chance to move forwards, develop, provide something that sets us apart from the competition, to be unique, to be special.
Some people don’t like change – and that’s usually for a good reason. When Change is not managed well, it can hurt the business, clients and the team members who were once were important, relevant and dedicated.
I came to Building Transformation from a large corporate business that was changed pretty much overnight. Before the move, we were immensely proud, we were part of a fast moving business, it was profitable every year and we received bonuses and rewards that gave us drive to further excel and succeed. It was often stressful with early mornings and late finishes, but it was fun and highly rewarding. Everyone in that building played their part, worked their hardest and went the extra mile and this meant we could go to various national awards dinners, team building days, events and internal awards ceremonies – People felt recognised and respected.
The decision to pull our department back into the main business venue and be run as one company sounded great initially – we were being asked to go and share our business knowledge, our processes and skills, to influence best practise and help to bring the rest of the company in line with the results we were achieving. We were to be a great example to the less profitable and failing areas that we would now be working with; that our culture and ethos would be a great chance to bring people out of themselves as the business had become stale and slightly old fashioned with closed doors and hallowed corridors housing Execs and Directors. This sounded like a fantastic change and we were keen to move over and get stuck in.
The change was huge and unfortunately not positive. Our teams were split up and jobs were changed and realigned to the business model that was already in place. People started to leave, some were obviously pushed, the louder managers were quietened, the drive was diminished, the passion was gone. We were now being targeted on a joint profit figure, which individually we hit, but when joined with the deficits from the other business areas it was unrealistic and unreachable.
They didn’t want the rest of the business to be like us, in fact they encouraged the bigger business to shun the ways we did things and we were given a ‘handbook’ on how things were now to be done. This wasn’t the role or business I had joined. We were being made to ‘fit’ a mould that simply wasn’t utilising the skills and personalities we had been employed for and it broke many of us. The ones who had the passion and drive had gone leaving the teams without direction or leadership. They were dissipated and absorbed by other areas or made so miserable they simply left – including myself.
That business was a gift – it was thriving and buoyant, fun and driven. Change broke it because Change wasn’t managed and neither were the expectations of the people.
I consider managed change to be a gift as it is here. It’s a chance for everyone to develop, step up, get involved, be passionate about what we do and how we do it. To be excited. There are many influencing factors like Brexit which could impact us over time; but regardless of our position in the market place, this business will continue to be proud of what it achieves, working efficiently, providing the best levels of communication and service standards. We will build on the trust earned with current clients and customers and make time to develop new partnerships and relationships in exciting new sectors and move the business forward. Change here is good. I relish change.
