BusinessLife Spotlight: Laura Brandano

This week we’re focusing the spotlight on Laura Brandano, director of Regional/National sales of a local advertising company.

Laura started working in broadcasting 18 years ago in Baltimore, MD at Sinclair Broadcast Group. Later, she moved to West Palm Beach and worked with Hearst’s local ABC station for few years. Laura joined her current company almost eight years ago, and became the Director of Regional sales in 2016.

Change in the Corporate Environment

In her director roles at an advertising firm, Laura has become a facilitator for change. The business world is constantly evolving, so it is imperative for companies to accept and implement change so they can stay competitive. Bringing change in an organization may either present itself as a challenge or a blessing for the senior executive or business owner.

We have explored change and its importance here on the Digital Library, such as in an article about creating substantive change and how SMART goals can be used to create change. Today, however, the focus is on Laura’s experiences in implementing change in the corporate environment.

Organizational changes are all too often resisted and could fail because of the way they are announced and implemented. Change is an inevitable part of conducting business, yet it is seldom embraced by employees. They may feel hesitant to leave their comfort zone, and resist change internally. This can become an obstacle for an executive or business owner who wants to keep his business unit up-to-date with the current market trends.

On the other hand, change can be a blessing in disguise. It can help push a company forward to look for other resources and or technologies a competitor may not have, or choose to tap into new resources and the potential they may produce while searching for change and innovation. Change can be looked upon to provide a competitive advantage, and change can bring forth a way to move forward.

In a corporation pursuing change, there are several questions to consider:

• What are the main challenges in introducing change into your company?
• How will you as a leader motivate your employees to accept and implement change you consider of high value?
• Might it be effective to introduce a change management plan, are you aware of the advantages of a change management plan?
• Will you choose to implement organization-wide change all at once, or will your employees fare better via a team-by-team approach?

Implementing change as a leader

There are many ways in which a business may change over time. These include mergers, acquisitions, relocation, and restructuring. Any change in your business affects your employees directly, so here at BusinessLife we consider it is crucial that your leadership team and staff are updated and  informed, and there is open communication so things can transition smoothly.

To introduce change in your company, you have to implement it in yourself first. With that, you encourage and empower your employees to follow your footsteps. This will give them the confidence to adapt to the changes, and minimize resistance.

Resistance to change is a natural phenomenon, because people tend to cling to their old habits. A strong leader can reduce resistance and motivate employees to shake off old habits. Organizational change may also cause employees to feel anxious about their future. As a business leader or owner, your choices are to not only implement the change in yourself, but also be a believer in it. This allows your employees to feel confident during the transitional phase.

Laura believes in introducing a change management plan that lists out all the steps to complete the process of change. It can be simple, such as a brief outline of the milestones which need to be achieved within set time frames. This can become a reference point for the employees, so they know exactly what is going on and what is expected from them.

Not everyone goes through the process of accepting, understanding, and implementing change the same way. As a business leader, the success of organizational change heavily relies on how effectively you can own change and model it in your behavior.

How different people introduce and implement change

As we have seen, the best leaders have the ability to gain the trust of their staff and get people to follow them. The first step to introduce change is by creating an awareness of WHY. What is about to happen, how long it will take, and what will be the result?

Employees can be informed about the nature of change through memos, meetings, presentations, and individual discussions. It allows them to feel more involved, and with that, to find a safe space to express concerns they may have.

As we have previously noted, you gain your employees trust by modeling and showing belief in the change yourself. Understanding the “WHY, How, Who, What, When” factors when it comes to change. Without your own belief, you may find it very difficult to show your team what the change is worth for them, for you, for the organization, and for your clients.

It is important to explain to your employees the reasoning behind the change, and what you are aiming to achieve with it. Keeping communication open and inviting employee participation during both design and implementation of organizational change helps to overcome resistance. Negotiation and introducing rewards for achieving milestones is also an effective way to overcome resistance.

When instituting change in a team, you may choose to ask:

• How can I gain my employees’ trust in implementing this change?
• What steps can I take to facilitate employees acceptance of change?
• How can I keep employees motivated if the process of change requires a long period of time to complete?
• How can I accommodate employees’ different learning levels and styles in instituting change?

How do you drive change, culture, and innovation?

In today’s business world, molding a company’s culture to be adaptive and welcoming to change is an ideal way to keep up with evolving business demands. With the advancement in technology and growing customer demands,  only a strong business culture can make it easier to accept change and implement it into the daily workflow. Culture should be in place to facilitate employee beliefs not only in change, but also in their leader to lead them to success.

Innovation in a business environment isn’t a product — it is communication. How efficiently a message is conveyed within an organization shows why the company is transitioning and why is it important for each employee to accept it and contribute to it.

Does your business welcome change?

Proactive management can make the process of change smoother, as employees will feel more involved and motivated. They can observe that their leader believes in the change and is implementing it himself as well. In this way, it encourages them to accept change in their roles.

Ultimately, building a culture of open communication and adoption, and fostering clear communication, is the key to a successful organization.