31 Jan Navigating Constant Change: Building Adaptability into Teams
“We must shift our energy from talking about what we want to do and instead just start building it into everyday microbehaviors.”
—Chief Talent Officer, Global Media Brand
Change is inevitable. Navigating change successfully is anything but. Building adaptability into teams means developing a workforce that not only copes with constant change but thrives within it, maintaining productivity and morale even amid uncertainty.
This requires HR to emphasize skills like agility, resilience, and problem-solving across all levels of the organization. In an ever-evolving environment, adaptable teams are invaluable, but fostering adaptability across the business without causing exhaustion is a nuanced challenge for HR.
We recently brought together 30x HR and Change executives for one of our famed ‘Industry Nights’ where we unpack critical future-of-work topics – and what to do about it today – with forward thinking leaders in a fully confidential, facilitated evening (always paired with an epic spread of food and drink from inspiring chefs).
Note: This article is based on insights from one of our table facilitators and community members, Nate Madsen, a senior HR Business Partner at J.Crew. His deep thinking and insightful notes helped inform the summary below.
Deep Dive Questions We Explored:
*Note: These are great conversation starters to use with your team as well!
- What competencies are essential for adaptability, and how can HR develop them in employees?
- How can HR leaders balance the need for flexibility with the risk of change fatigue?
- What role do managers play in promoting a culture of adaptability, and how can HR support them?
- How can HR measure adaptability within teams, and what indicators signify resilience to change?
- What are the best practices for communicating change effectively to maintain transparency and trust?
Insight #1 | Communication: The Map for Navigating Change
Change initiatives live or die by communication. It’s not enough to be transparent; HR leaders must craft a compelling narrative that connects what’s changing, why it matters, and what remains constant. This narrative provides employees with stable ground during transitions.
Senior leaders must own the decision—not just through carefully curated messaging but by creating genuine forums for dialogue around the narrative they share. Deep listening, from pre-change listening tours to post-implementation feedback loops, ensures employees see their input reflected in decisions, fostering authentic buy-in.
Tactical Thought Starters:
- Host executive-led listening sessions pre- and post-change to identify both opportunities and red flags.
- Develop a clear, consistent change narrative that links new initiatives to organizational values and goals. Invest in storytelling.
- Provide training to leaders on effective storytelling and active listening techniques.
- Create open forums or Q&A sessions for employees to engage directly with senior leadership in non-scripted, authentic ways.
- Regularly review and adapt communication strategies based on employee feedback.
Insight #2 | Navigating Change Fatigue
Change fatigue corrodes organizational culture. Too often, leaders underestimate how much time employees need to process transitions. Launching new initiatives before previous ones settle creates resistance and incomplete transitions. Savvy HR executives act as fierce guardians of their organization’s change capacity, evaluating ROI against cultural impacts.
Tactical Thought Starters:
- Establish a “change moratorium” period between major initiatives to allow time for absorption.
- Implement a change impact assessment for all new initiatives to evaluate readiness and capacity.
- Prioritize high-impact changes and defer or cancel low-ROI initiatives that strain the organization.
- Create visual timelines that outline all upcoming and ongoing changes for transparency.
- Develop resources for managers to recognize and address signs of change fatigue in their teams (and themselves!).
Insight #3 | Curiosity: Your Culture Superpower
Curious teams are open to change and are more equipped to reframe challenges as questions. Building psychological safety—where employees can question and contribute without fear—paves the way for co-designed change initiatives. It’s important to note that while most leaders ask for this mindset, they are often the reason org-wide curiosity is stifled because of a hesitancy to increase transparency and vulnerability around what we don’t know. Using well articulated briefs to define problem spaces can help define challenge spaces that employees can contribute to.
Tactical Thought Starters:
- Train executives and managers on fostering psychological safety and reward examples of curiosity and adaptivity during periods of transition.
- Conduct workshops that encourage open dialogue and experimentation during change initiatives.
- Learn how to think in ‘experiments’ instead of silver bullet strategies. Create outcomes based metrics that fuel shared learning on whether we’re making progress.
- Create employee innovation councils to involve them in shaping change.
- Incorporate curiosity, adaptability, and resilience into leadership development programs.
Insight #4 | Tailoring Change for Subcultures
Organizations aren’t monolithic; subcultures within departments require tailored change strategies. Middle managers, the linchpins of implementation, must be equipped to authentically cascade change rather than distancing themselves from it.
Tactical Thought Starters:
- Create tailored playbooks for different departments, addressing their unique subcultures.
- Conduct regular training sessions to build change management and group facilitation skills in middle managers.
- Host dedicated forums for middle managers to share concerns and best practices.
- Provide managers with tools to localize communication while maintaining alignment with overarching goals.
- Develop support systems for managers, such as coaching or peer mentoring, to help them navigate their dual roles.
Insight #5 | Legitimate Concerns vs. Change Aversion
Resistance isn’t always bad. Leaders must discern between typical change aversion and legitimate concerns. These “canaries in the coal mine” often signal adjustments needed in strategy or execution.
Tactical Thought Starters:
- Work with leaders to name assumptions and unknowns within every new change initiative. Use these to focus and encourage employee feedback.
- Establish anonymous feedback channels to surface legitimate concerns early.
- Train leaders to differentiate between constructive feedback and resistance rooted in fear.
- Use focus groups to delve deeper into recurring concerns and refine strategies.
- Act visibly on feedback to demonstrate that employee input drives decisions.
When handled intentionally, change becomes a catalyst for growth rather than a source of fatigue. HR executives who lean into these strategies can build not only resilience but a culture where change fuels progress and the organization is moving through it together.
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This article is part of our series on HR, change and transformation. Check out past issues, and sign up for our newsletter to get future issues sent directly to your inbox.
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