Motivating During Change

The Change Champs

November 21, 2024

MGT-360 Leadership Practicum

market, implementing new business models, introducing new technologies, and conducting

layoffs. Change has been difficult for centuries, “generally an aberration and a danger”

(Andersen, 2022) and still proves true today. Employees today still initially view change as “...

difficulty, costly, and weird,” (Andersen, 2022). It is crucial that leaders help their employees’

mindset to viewing change as “easy, rewarding, and normal” (Andersen, 2022), by motivating

them during change. Motivating during change helps guide individuals through adapting to a

chance while maintaining positive productivity levels by encouraging and supporting them

through the adjustment of change. Motivating through change can overall improve each

employee’s professional development and well-being.

One of the most significant changes in an organization, layoffs, presents a complex

leadership challenge, requiring a delicate balance of empathy, transparency, and strategic

decision making. Empathy, transparency, and strategic decision making are highly important

factors relating to effective leadership as they directly impact employee engagement, trust, and

overall organizational performance. Employee engagement is essential for driving productivity

and innovation, as engaged employees are more likely to be motivated, committed, and willing

to go the extra mile. The key issues underlying this challenge include managing decreased

morale, rebuilding trust with current employees, and addressing survivor guilt.

First, low morale is a key issue that can lead to decreased productivity, increased

turnover, and declined employee engagement. Research shows that, “... a whopping three-

quarters of employees who survive a corporate layoff say their productivity declined. They’re

also more likely to leave; bigger layoffs produce bigger turnover spikes. Those who stay with the

company might not feel engaged with their work in a meaningful way,” (Barnett, 2023). This
article explains the negative impact layoffs can have on employees. Layoffs within a company

can be discouraging and stressful. It is important that leaders maintain a strong company culture

to help employees feel valued and appreciated through difficult times.

Next, trust is the foundation of any successful organization, and it is particularly

important during times of change and uncertainty. When employees trust their leaders, they are

more likely to be open to change, willing to take risks, and supportive of organizational goals. A

lack of transparency can erode trust between leaders and employees, hindering collaboration and

innovation. “Failure to manage employee morale can have a direct adverse impact on business

results” and when employees lack trust “in the organization and experience fear, their

innovation, willingness to take risks, and desire to go the extra mile can decrease” (Ingram,

2024). This emphasizes the importance of maintaining employee morale and trust during layoffs.

When employees feel valued, supported, and confident in the future of the organization, they are

more likely to remain motivated and productive. A well-supported and motivated workforce is

essential for organizational resilience and long-term success.

Also, survivor syndrome refers to the emotional and psychological impact on employees

who remain after layoffs, often characterized by feelings of guilt, anxiety, and decreased job

satisfaction. Effective leaders must recognize and address these feelings to prevent negative

consequences. “This type of survivor guilt is normally associated with the emotions people

experience after facing a traumatic event or accident… it can also happen after corporate layoffs.

It’s not uncommon for the employees left standing to wonder, why did I make it, but they did

not?” (Peppercorn, 2023). By addressing survivor guilt and providing emotional support, leaders

can help motivate their employees during layoffs and maintain a positive work environment.
 While change can be hard, there are several solutions that can be effective in keeping

employees and team members motivated. Some of which include maintaining strong

communication, advocating for employee engagement, and developing leadership styles, all of

which directly relate to the previously mentioned concepts.

The first potential solution is related to communication during change within an

organization. Engaging in accurate, unambiguous, and regular communication is crucial in

minimizing employee uncertainty. When leaders invest the time to make sense of the changes,

discuss the anticipated results, and how they will likely affect the workers, this reduces any fears

that may be instilled (Li et al., 2021). Other means, including open forums for general

discussions, updates, and feedback collection mechanisms, may also ensure that the employees’

opinions are considered valuable. Again, it is beneficial for such communication to create a sense

of stability and understanding of what is going on, which is especially important when it

concerns motivation. Li along with contributing authors discuss the benefits that transparent

communication practices bring to organizational settings in times of change and how they “equip

employees with the means to deal with such change” (2021). However, one challenge with this

solution is that leaders may struggle to remain approachable and keep communication flowing

well even during the stress of change, especially when the change is unpleasant, such as

implementing a downsizing process.

A current successful example of communicating during change is Credit Karma. Credit

Karma underwent a change of expansion, it has just now become a company that most

Americans use. Credit Karma communicates with their employees by having an open-door

policy and holding an open town hall meeting each month. “As Credit Karma has grown, layers
of separation have developed in between me as CEO and the rest of the company… I want new

employees to feel like this is a mission we're all in together. An open-door policy sets the tone

for this. Each month at Credit Karma, I hold an open town hall meeting for any employee that

wants to come. I use these as important check-ins for any pressing announcements, and I take

questions.” (Lin, 2015).

Another solution is to increase employee participation in the process of change. Thus,

employees will feel responsible and dedicated when they participate in decision-making or are

involved in the change process. Such engagement may include consultation in decision-making

processes or inviting employees to participate in implementing change processes. Such practices

may also help minimize employees’ resistance to change and increase their motivation because

they will feel that they can somewhat exercise a say over what is expected to happen. In a

situation where employees feel the risk of being laid off and the anxiety that accompanies that

worry, providing those that remain with a greater amount of autonomy is beneficial to both

parties. Assigning greater authority to employees when it comes to decision-making means that

individual motivation is enhanced, which “contributes to higher levels of performance and well-

being,” (Lancefield, 2023). This type of empowerment by organizational leaders can help instill

motivation in employees during difficult times and boost overall morale in the workplace.

However, this solution faces a few issues, as explained below. A significant challenge of this

solution is dealing with the differences likely to creep up when involving the employees since

this aspect can slow down the decision-making process.

Lastly, the leadership training solution for managers can assist in dealing with the

challenges regarding employee motivation. Some of the leadership training that is known to be

effective include emotional intelligence training, conflict resolution training, and change
management training, as these passages through leadership can be well managed through

effective leadership from these trained leaders. Also, these skills come in handy, especially in

handling employee morale and trust. According to the Corporate Leadership Council, managers

who are attentive to their subordinates, open to their complaints, and willing to solve their

problems will stand a better chance of keeping the staff committed and productive when changes

occur (2014). However, a possible limitation could be the time and money required to implement

such training programs, especially among organizations that may be financially stretched or tight

on time.

In conclusion, enhancing communication is the most effective and easily implementable

approach to deal with motivation issues. Therefore, it is essential that communicating during

these transitions is clear and accessible to misunderstandings, as defeating uncertainty and

building trust are crucial needs during transitions among employees. Correct communication

ensures the support of the other solutions proposed here: engaging employees, management

training. Through such communication, employees are involved in change processes and are

likely to comprehend the reasons and importance of leadership development interventions.

Openness helps create an atmosphere of togetherness because the company’s activities and

intentions are transparent, and employees are most likely to feel less worried and threatened.

Therefore, improving communication must be proposed as an efficient first step to the

motivational issues. By keeping communication lines open and stable, it is possible to develop a

positive context, or, at least, create the biological prerequisite for more complex and effective

change management solutions. This makes the transition easier for the employees and the

organization, as it provides a more stable base for long-term development.

Barnett, J. (2023, January 27). How to boost employee morale after a round of layoffs. LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-boost-employee-morale-after-round-layoffs-jim-

barnett/

Change is hard. here’s how to make it less painful. Harvard Business Review. (2023, April 3).

https://hbr.org/2022/04/change-is-hard-heres-how-to-make-it-less-painful

Corporate Leadership Council. (2014). Driving employee engagement during organizational

change. Corporate Leadership Council.

Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications

for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 611–628.

Dubrin, A. J. (2015) Leadership: Research FIndings, Practice, and Skills. Cengage Learning.

https://ebooks.cenreader.com/#!/reader/e478eb68-c378-4b8f-8355-8a7610ce758f/page/

2c77737d9fed69684df13421712fe868

Forbes Magazine. (2022, August 8). The Four principles of change management. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/principles-of-change-management/

Harter, J., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2020). Business-unit-level relationship between

employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis.

Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268–279.

https://worldatwork.org/publications/workspan-daily/building-employee-trust-amid-

layoffs

Knorring, G. (2023, April). 5 Times Leaders Showed Incredibly Effective Communication.

Sancus Leadership. https://www.sancusleadership.com/times-leaders-showed-incredibly-

effective-communication/

Lancefield, D. (2023, March 20). 5 strategies to empower employees to make decisions. Harvard

Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/03/5-strategies-to-empower-employees-to-make-

decisions

Li, J.-Y., Sun, R., Tao, W., & Lee, Y. (2021, March). Employee coping with organizational

change in the face of a pandemic: The role of Transparent Internal Communication.

Public relations review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9758076/#sec0095

Peppercorn, S. (2023, January 10). How to support your remaining employees after a layoff.

Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-to-support-your-remaining-

employees-after-a-layoff