Managing Change
Change management is a time-consuming and very involved process on its own, let alone the time required to implement the actual changes. Both organizations talked about how much change they have gone through and how much work this is. Several recommendations for change management were brought forth:
- Provide lots of notice. Do not announce a change one day and start it the next.
- Provide your staff with training to support the changes being implemented.
- Go slow. Give your staff, the youth and management time to adjust to the changes and to see how they work.
- Review the changes and see how they are working. Be prepared to pull back or readjust as necessary.
- Increase staff supervision if necessary to provide individual training and support to staff.
- Understand that change is hard for everyone and that it may result in “negative” behaviours from youth as they adjust.
- Be open and excited to doing something new and different.