When implementing process improvements, it can be easy to forget about the impact it has on the people involved. Even for seasoned senior leadership, these impacts can be unforeseen or not be understood when they occur. Why does this happen? If our goal is to streamline processes and remove barriers to our employees’ success, then why would this frustrate them?

Below I will break down some of the ways in which the team is “left behind” during process improvement and how to get them back on track.

Your values are not aligned.

Sorry to say it, but that Room Attendant doesn’t understand your KPIs and if they do understand, they don’t see why it matters to them personally. Seek to connect with the team on a more personal level. How will these changes impact their day to day work. Explain why these changes are beneficial to the company AND to them. Give them behind the scenes insight into the pain points that brought on these changes.

You’re removing someone’s autonomy.

When improving processes, many changes tend to involve automating or eliminating a process that is currently overly manual or cumbersome. While you might think that everyone wants to eliminate this process, you will be surprised to find that some employees feel a sense of empowerment and autonomy in having mastered the currently broken process. When the process is changed, they feel they are losing their place in the operation. Identify who these individuals are and explain to them the benefits of the new process but also use it as an opportunity to find a new process for them to own. Clearly, they are taking pride in their work and should continue to be empowered to own a process. Fill the gap with something new and exciting for them, even if that may be in a different arena than the previous process. This point is especially challenging because often those who feel attached to the broken process don’t reveal themselves until after the change has been implemented and their feelings have already been hurt.

Too much too fast.

All of your employees operate at different speeds and process change in different ways. Again, check in with your team and gauge their reaction. For a seasoned executive, implementing rapid fire changes happens without a second thought. They know the efficacy and value in these changes and seek to gather results immediately. However, the team can start to feel overwhelmed, even if the changes are positive. Consider being more lenient with timelines and seeking employee feedback between stages of implementation.

By fixing one process, you broke another.

Sometimes implementing a new process can inadvertently break another process. Maybe using new technology or equipment addresses a certain challenge but is unable to keep up with another unrelated process that was never a problem before. The team can become frustrated that this other process, which worked fine before, now doesn’t work. It can feel like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Again, these are unforeseen and often don’t materialize until changes or new implementations have already been made. The most important response is to accept the feedback and search for a solution. Keep communication open and honest with the team and commit your time to seeing the issue resolved. Before implementing changes, advise the team that unforeseen challenges may arise and that it is all part of the improvement process.

Honesty and transparency are paramount to a successful operation. If your team is not on board with the changes that are happening, why they are happening and what their place is in this new landscape, they will be disengaged and dissatisfied regardless of the business results. Here at B to C Solutions, we strive to take this approach with our hotel partners. We value clear communication and are willing to pump the brakes to ensure the operational team is on board with our initiatives. We are just as likely to have a quiet conversation with a team member regarding their personal challenges with the operation as we are to give recommendations to the CEO. This approach keeps the entire operation moving together in the right direction delivering both financial results and maintaining the important work culture.