How Can a Proactive Learning Plan Help Employees Deal with Major Corporate Changes?

Change is never easy, especially for large companies with hundreds of employees to coordinate and motivate. Companies who do not have proactive learning plans in place to handle major events that could affect employee skill sets or the company’s internal knowledge set are more likely to suffer from retention issues and overall productivity. Proactive learning plans are critical in every phase of a business’ growth cycle, but especially during times of disruption. In fact, being proactive and maintaining your focus on development can help connect those dots even through disruption on a corporate level. 

Here are five ways you can help your employees deal with major upheaval through a proactive learning plan.

1) Plan for Change Methodically

Planning for change is the key to helping your employees manage the change. That structure and support is what helps employees stay up to date on their skills and continue to thrive in role. Businesses that follow a structured methodology see that the methodology of a proactive learning plan can be one of the most important factors in navigating through the process of corporate change.

2) Create and Customize Your Plans

There’s no such thing as an effective “one-size-fits-all” approach to change management. Your plan must be customized to fit the unique needs of the situation, your employees, the situation itself, and the history and culture of the organization. Make sure your employees know you are thinking about their long-term success by building their professional development into your change management plan.

3) Focus on the Individual

While change management is often viewed from a high level of organizational strategy, don’t forget to consider the individual experience as well. Really great talent takes individualized attention and engagement. Retain and nurture the careers of your best employees by building their growth into the plan proactively, focusing in on different roles and career paths as needed.

4) Communicate Your Plan

Effective change management depends heavily on good communication, especially as it relates to how you are proactively building employee development into the strategic future of your organization. But ad hoc communication is not enough to effectively manage the changing paradigm. Decide what, how, when, and by whom the key messages should be communicated by to make sure your team understands and is on board with your strategy.

5) Gather Feedback and Measure Success

Feedback, even critical feedback, is a blessing. In no other format will you receive as much valuable information as what you receive in the form of internal feedback. Remain open to that information whether it comes from employees or corporate leadership, because that feedback will help you to measure your success and pivot to make a greater impact as you and your team learn from the experience.

Are you looking for guidance on how to build a proactive learning plan?

Our instructional design consultants work with your leadership and subject matter experts to help develop talent and implement performance management practices. For more tips on how to build out a successful and proactive learning plan, connect with the team at Clarity Consultants today.