When change is consistently occurring in your company – whether good or bad – it is easy for employees to become overwhelmed and depleted. Unable to align their actions with your company’s goals because they are always changing, they can very quickly become disengaged.
To stop this occurring within your organisation, you need to be aware of the signs of change fatigue and be ready to re-energise your team and steer them back on course by creating a clear direction forward.
- People aren’t working to their highest capacity
When your team is experiencing change fatigue you can start to see a lack of involvement. Those proactive and productive staff members aren’t as passionate, or quick to act. And those staff members who have always been reliable? They suddenly aren’t as available or present anymore. You can also begin to notice a distinct lack of focus and concentration across your entire team.
- Job roles and responsibilities are becoming blurred
When change is constant it can become increasingly difficult for your staff to know what their role is and how they need to prioritise tasks. Without clear communication or a clear heading, confusion can skyrocket, resulting in missed tasks and deadlines, extended timeframes and a drop in the quality of your products and services.
- Stress and conflict are on the rise
Combine confusion with uncertainty and very quickly stress and conflict levels increase. Small changes, setbacks and conflicts that would normally be promptly dealt with, are now becoming huge ordeals. As staff morale disintegrates further absenteeism, burnout and breakdowns become more prevalent.
- You are receiving more complaints from staff and customers
With your business not operating as effectively and efficiently as usual complaints pour in. From the staff who are unsure of their role and direction to the customers who are experiencing the effects of a drop in quality and service, you can find the complaints become more frequent and complainers become more vocal.
- Scepticism and cynicism are becoming the new company culture
One of the biggest signs of change fatigue is a shift in attitude. Resistance to change increases and is met with scepticism and cynicism. Sarcastic comments like “Why bother, it will only change again” are echoed through the halls.
The way your employees approach their work also changes, they are no longer there to contribute or add value; they are there to get an income. All excitement and enjoyment is stripped from their faces and they have become disheartened and disengaged.
These are just five of the symptoms your team can present with when suffering from change fatigue. While it can certainly take it’s toll on your performance and culture, the good news is, change fatigue is a condition your team and organisation can recover from.
Need help re-energising your team? Read our blog on Re-engaging the survivors of change and have a chat with us on 07 3838 1388.
