| The business world today is moving at warp | | | | department does, going forward you need to |
| speed, there are technological changes, economic | | | | spend the majority of your time looking at trends |
| challenges and increasing global influences. All of | | | | in the marketplace to set the direction of the |
| these changes have caused some employers to | | | | department". Another question that needs to be |
| rethink their businesses through reengineering, | | | | addressed is whether your company has the |
| improving efficiencies as well as upgrading talent. | | | | resources to help the employee with skill |
| To achieve new goals and get their businesses | | | | development. If not, are they willing to use |
| where they need to go many employers are | | | | outside resources to assist in the development |
| raising expectations and putting more focus on | | | | process. |
| accountability. However, with this new direction | | | | If you decide after analyzing the employee's |
| there is an impact on employees that can be | | | | current abilities against the needed skills that they |
| positive in some cases but can often be career | | | | cannot be effective, than you still will need to |
| limiting in others. What was expected yesterday | | | | articulate what has changed in the position and |
| doesn't apply anymore and just because people | | | | why that employee isn't suited to the role as well |
| were qualified to do the job before doesn't mean | | | | as establishing what the alternatives are for them. |
| they can do it now. This causes a dilemma for | | | | An ideal scenario would be to find another role for |
| the employer, how do you deal with employees | | | | the person within the company. This can obviously |
| who were good, hardworking employees for | | | | turn out to be a win-win situation if and only if the |
| many years but now they just don't have the | | | | employee sees the change as a positive one. |
| skills that you need. There are different ways to | | | | That is why being able to communicate the |
| approach changing expectations with employees | | | | changes in the position is so important as well as |
| but regardless of the path you chose, you need | | | | being able to show the employee the benefits of |
| to remember that it isn't the employee's fault | | | | their move to a new role. Regardless if you think |
| that things have changed. Showing compassion | | | | the employee will jump at the idea of the new |
| and understanding should be first and foremost so | | | | position, you need to be prepared if the employee |
| that the employee doesn't feel like they are being | | | | doesn't want the new role. You can tell them they |
| cast aside or undervalued. | | | | have no alternative, they can take the job or |
| When you realize that certain positions are going | | | | leave the company or you can lay them off. (Be |
| to change you need to establish what skills are | | | | aware that even if someone quits, they may be |
| different now. Before making any type of change | | | | able to collect unemployment anyway, that is |
| in personnel you must assess whether or not the | | | | something that your state unemployment office |
| person currently in the role can handle the new | | | | will decide). If you lay them off you can do so |
| responsibilities. This isn't the time for assumptions | | | | without pay or you can offer to pay severance. |
| about someone's abilities or aspirations. Having | | | | If you offer severance then you need to decide |
| identified the skills that are needed will help you to | | | | how much. You can use whatever severance |
| assess the current person's capabilities as well as | | | | policy you use for other layoffs (i.e. lack of work) |
| giving you a basis for a conversation on what the | | | | or you can create a special policy and either set a |
| person would have to do to succeed in the newly | | | | flat amount of 4 weeks for example or a certain |
| defined role. An important question at this point is | | | | amount of weeks per year of service. If you do |
| whether or not you have time to develop | | | | choose to create a different policy, the key is to |
| someone so that they can take on new | | | | be consistent, so anyone affected by changing |
| responsibilities. Keep in mind that recruiting | | | | job expectations will be handled the same. |
| someone is time consuming as well, so before | | | | The advice on severance will also hold true - if |
| you decide you don't have time, think about the | | | | you don't have another opportunity for the |
| time it has taken in the past to find qualified | | | | person to move into, you can chose to exit them |
| candidates from outside the company. | | | | from the company and offer monetary |
| Say you are willing to take the chance on your | | | | assistance to ease the transition. |
| current employee and develop them so they can | | | | No matter which path you chose, the key to |
| be successful in the new role, what do you do | | | | success is in understanding what skills the job now |
| next? As mentioned earlier it is important to | | | | needs and being able to articulate them to the |
| identify what skills are different now. The | | | | employee. Don't let your own reluctance to deliver |
| employee you will be working with will have most | | | | unpleasant news get in the way of doing what is |
| likely been successful in the job they have been | | | | right with respect to reengineering positions in |
| doing and they will need to know what skills have | | | | your company. You may think you are being kind |
| to be improved and why. Then they will also need | | | | to an employee by not telling them what skills |
| to know what it would look like to be successful | | | | they may lack however, you may only serve to |
| in these particular skills. Just saying, "you need to | | | | confuse them and then create bad feelings |
| be more strategic" does not tell a person | | | | anyway. You may also end up with a disciplinary |
| anything. However, being specific about what the | | | | situation if you don't deal with the change in |
| behavior looks like will help them to be able to | | | | expectations up front. This is one of those |
| recognize if they have not been exhibiting that | | | | circumstances where being proactive is going to |
| behavior. For example, "John, you are very | | | | garner the best results for everyone concerned. |
| involved in the details of each project your | | | | |