Louise Matthews: Workplace Transformation Needs a Cross-functional Team

Change is difficult. It takes away the comfort of the old and replaces it with the unfamiliar. Workplace transformation involves change on a grand scale. Often, the bigger the change, the more resistant people are to embracing it. What’s the best way to address this inherent challenge of updating the workplace? How can you increase your chances of a successful transition?

For many leading companies, the answer lies in bringing people into the change management process as early as possible so employees will feel the change is being done for them rather than to them. This way, they will experience a sense of ownership and pride in the transformation.

“Anyone leading a workplace transformation project needs to have a cross-functional team that includes HR, finance, and technology.”

Take great care in creating your team. Anyone leading a workplace transformation project needs to have a cross-functional team that includes HR, finance, technology and brand marketing. You also want to make sure that you’re getting input from all levels of the organization.

As with any team dynamic, certain people will be providing essential input into the process, and you will have leaders who are charged with making decisions. For this reason, it’s important to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of your task force members up front, as well as the various levels of authority and decision-making power they have. That way, there will be no confusion in terms of who’s providing input as opposed to who’s making the decisions.

You should also make sure that the leadership of the company is kept up to speed, is fully informed, and has championed the project. Involvement needs to be present throughout all levels of the company, including the top.

This is an excerpt from 8 Experts on Workplace Transformation. The eBook was generously sponsored by Iron Mountain.