Change is inevitable in any business, but chaos doesn’t have to be.
Here’s a quick story (details changed for privacy). A department manager decided to introduce a new process to her team. The change itself wasn’t overly complicated, but the rollout was another story.
There was no prep meeting. No training. Just a last-minute message with rough instructions and very little context. On the day everything went live, the team did what they thought was correct, but it wasn’t what the manager had in mind. Confusion spread quickly. Tasks were done inconsistently, and before long, HR and IT had to step in to help fix the situation.
What went wrong?
No time was set aside to introduce and explain the change
The team didn’t receive proper training or examples
Communication was rushed and vague
Expectations were unclear
There was no opportunity to ask questions or clarify details
The result was frustration on all sides and extra costs to clean things up.
The truth is, it’s usually not the change itself that creates problems, it’s the lack of preparation and communication.
Here are a few ways to roll out change more successfully:
Communicate early so everyone has time to process
Hold a short meeting to explain why the change is happening
Share clear instructions and timelines
Encourage questions and feedback
Follow up to make sure the process is working as planned
Even small adjustments deserve thoughtful planning. Your team wants to get it right, they just need the right information and support.
A little clarity goes a long way.
