Today, January 20, 2017, the United States of America got a new President.
With that comes change. Not only does a change in leadership usher in a change in administration, but it also creates uncertainty and fear of the new and unknown.
Despite the change, there is never a complete breakdown of the government.
Have you ever wondered why?
There are several reasons but a major one is because there is an infrastructure in place that ensures the “show goes on” regardless of who is in office. 
Similarly, business infrastructure links people, activities and technology to strategic goals through planned processes and systems in your company.
Business infrastructure mitigates the risk of your company slipping into anarchy during any type of major change.
Consider these tips the next time your company undergoes a major change:
- Communicate. Prepare your stakeholders (employees, vendors and customers) for the change with early and frequent communication. Similar to the White House, you can conduct Town Hall meetings or open forums and directly address concerns.
- Leverage Your Playbook. Remind your stakeholders that a structure is in place to facilitate the change. Like the White House, you may have to execute contingency plans when standard operating procedures do not work.
- Hire Up. Turnover will likely increase during this time. Oftentimes under-performing stakeholders will weed themselves out. However, if valuable stakeholders threaten to leave, then use your new organizational design to illustrate how the change will benefit them. Re-evaluate key roles and responsibilities and recruit top talent.
Change is inevitable and it’s easy to get caught up in the hoopla that surrounds any major change in leadership and/or administration. With business infrastructure in place, you can focus on using that change to actually work for the benefit of your business. The good news is that your company’s smaller size makes it easier to adapt to changes!
We offer a Flow in FluxTM virtual coaching service designed to guide entrepreneurs through operational change. Contact us or share this article with a small business owner you know.
Together we can keep as many businesses thriving as possible!
