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How Finance Leaders Can Get New Ideas Implemented with an Old Team
Workplaces are changing so quickly in the modern business landscape. If it isn’t a completely new operating system, it’s a new software or channel for communication. It’s more than understandable why some employees want to go back to the way things were when they were simpler, or keep things the same now while they have a good routine established. Implementing change in the workplace can be frustrating, but it’s often a necessary shift to keep up or stay ahead of the competition.
So, how do you implement change with an older team? An established team that has had years of experience with a certain process and strategies can often, and should, rely heavily on their familiarity with each other and the process in order to achieve an efficient and effective workflow.
Often people will say, “If something isn’t broke, then why fix it?” Implementing new ideas in the workplace is less about fixing your team’s workflow and more so focused on fine tuning their efficiency. You don’t wait until your car is broke down before you take it in for an oil change, so why wait until your company falls behind its competitors before you start to modernize its practices?
Establish a Proof of Concept
One of the best ways to introduce new ideas to your team is to show (not tell) them how it makes their work easier or more effective. If you work with a team of Accountants in Toronto and Southern Ontario, try out your new accounting software before you present the change to the team and show them how much more productive you’ve been because of it, or how much easier it is to use.
Slowly Lay the Breadcrumbs
There are a few ways you can gradually introduce new ideas into an older team that can chip away at their perceived preferences in workflow. The first thing you can do is introduce the concept to your team, tell them why it is helpful and then continue to present positive information about the new idea until it sticks. Another way to slowly introduce change into your team is to start with one employee at a time and have your team see how their co-workers are benefitting from the switch. Another way is to do a trial run with your new process.
Make It Conditional Upon Success
Employees, especially more veteran employees, don’t like arbitrary changes to be forced on them. However, if you implement a trial phase with the new concept that you are trying to introduce and it goes well, your employees will have no reservations about making the switch.
For more employee management tips or to add to your talented pool of finance professionals, consider how a trusted GTA and Southern Ontario staffing firm, such as Halcyon Finance & Accounting Recruitment, can help develop your already talented team. Reach out to Halcyon Finance & Accounting Recruitment and we would love to see how we can help your business grow.
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