As a consultant and author of the book Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change, I deliver presentations at companies’ management retreats and strategic planning meetings. During these, I help the management team plan how to implement highly profitable organizational change.

Then, the executives sometimes ask me to deliver presentations at their employee meetings when they announce key changes. Since organizational change always impacts employees’ careers, employees typically greet the changes with fear and trepidation. My goal when I address the employees is twofold.

First, I tell them they are not alone. Every employee in every company undergoing change feels uncomfortable, and may have his or her career altered or exploded.

Second, and more importantly, I lay it on the line. I tell employees specific tips they can use to not only survive the change – but to thrive and create a more exciting job and career.

Unfortunately, many so-called change “experts” dole out pseudo-humanistic drivel that proves overwhelmingly useless to employees. They spew baloney, including how employees will (a) get used to having new management methods used and (b) get in touch with their Inner Child to experience the anxiety of change and then (c) miraculously grow from it. Such doses of psychobabble do little to help employees succeed in real-life business dramas they are forced to participate in when their company makes organizational changes.

In contrast, I prefer to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – so employees discover how to accomplish more and vastly expand their career opportunities. Here are five tough tips I offer that enormously benefit employees.

1st Tip: Your Fear Doesn’t Matter

I tell employees, “I realize most of you feel scared or upset about the organizational change. But, that does not matter! Why? Because – regardless of your state of mind – you still need to do your job. After all, the company is running a business – not a mental health clinic.”

2nd Tip: Don’t Do Your Best

Sometimes employees tremble and shake as I inform them of a vital truth that no one ever told them: “Very soon, you’re going to learn one of the most important lessons in your entire life: Doing your best is not enough!”

3rd Tip: The Ultimate Success Secret

As the employees mentally stagger from my previous tip, I reveal a huge, potentially lucrative secret: “You’ll guarantee yourself a secure career to the exact degree that you make yourself a member of your company’s profit-generating team. What really counts are results, especially results you produce that measurably boost profits. If you do your best -- but do not measurably improve your company’s profits -- realize that you have not done enough.”

4th Tip: Focus on One Thing

During the part of the management retreat I led, I helped the company’s executives create a vision. A vision is a big, exciting, compelling goal for the company to become the best or biggest in its industry, region, the nation, or even the world. All upcoming organizational changes aim to help the company achieve its grand vision. Every employee who measurably helps the company achieve the big vision is highly valued. After discussing the company’s vision, I give employees this key insight: “Keep your eye on the ball. Specifically, in everything you do, always focus on achieving your company’s vision.”

5th Tip: Gun to Your Head

Some rebellious or lazy employees simply refuse to transform themselves to (a) join the profit-generating team and (b) participate in achieving the company’s big, exciting vision of a glorious future. These resistant employees love to undermine or badmouth organizational changes. I inform them that management – if it follows my advice – very soon will “de-employ” employees who do not get on board.

To these grumbling, resistant, or lazy employees, I point out: “If you don’t like the changes, you need to realize that no one is forcing you to stay by pointing a gun at your head. No one stands next to your bed while you are asleep, wakes you up, points a gun at your head, and screams, ‘You need to get to work or I’ll shoot you.’ Then, at the company, no one stands next to you with a gun to your head shouting that you need to work hard or you’ll be shot. So, you only have three choices: You can (a) get with the program or (b) quit or (c) find another job. If you do not like it here, everyone will feel happy when you leave – especially you.”

Your Inner Adult

Basically, my five tough tips for employees boil down to this: Get in touch with your Inner Adult! Become astoundingly self-responsible, boost profits, focus on your company’s vision. And then you can reap magnificent rewards for yourself.

© Copyright 2006 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.

Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is an expert on pre-employment tests, and an exciting speaker at companies and conferences. He is founder of The Mercer Group, Inc. in Barrington, Illinois. Many companies use Dr. Mercer’s “Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™ Tests” when they need to hire productive employees. He authored 5 books, including “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest™,” “Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change™,” and “Spontaneous Optimism™.” You can subscribe for free to his Management e-Newsletter at http://www.DrMercer.com If you subscribe today, you receive his 14-page Special Report entitled, "Hire Productive, Profitable & Honest Employees".

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