Process changes can be difficult to handle; and especially if they are unexpected. All too often communication is a forgotten necessity of the workforce management team. The purpose of this series is to help workforce management teams to get out of the silo, help their centers understand what workforce management does, and make it easier to implement schedule process changes. Part Three of a Five Part Series:
- Get Organized
- Ask Your Agents
- Share Your Strategy
- Test It
- Give It Time
When I listen to workforce managers talk about why their new schedule plan failed, almost always, the top reason is because the changes were too hard to implement. There was too much resistance from the people who were impacted. To help prepare your center for the changes, the workforce strategy committee needs to get out there and Share Your Strategy.
After all the surveying, your agents can guess that changes are coming. Take the guess-work out of the equation and announce the upcoming schedule process changes in advance. In order to see your new strategy through to success, you’re going to have to get the buy-in of your center.
While it will be nearly impossible to get everyone on board, you can certainly gain advocates by sharing the strategy and putting an explanation behind it. Let your agents see that there is method behind the workforce madness before throwing the switch. Explain why the changes are necessary, encourage your agents to share their thoughts, and look for feedback that may help you fine tune your strategy before it is implemented. Ultimately, the schedule process changes are for the benefit of the center. Don’t get discouraged if you get negative feedback in the beginning; in time your agents will get used to the idea.
