Plan for Change
Organizational leaders often find it necessary to change how their units operate for reasons like:
- changing unit priorities
- initiating new programs
- enhancing organizational effectiveness
- addressing budget reductions
A successful reorganization requires careful advance preparation and planning that addresses programmatic needs, support services required to advance organizational goals, and effective workforce planning and communication.
Staffing Considerations—Involve Human Resources
The University operates in a complex employment, statutory, regulatory, and procedural environment. It is critical that you involve UW Human Resources if you are planning changes to your organizational structure that may result in:
- adding new positions
- eliminating or reducing existing positions
- changing work assignments significantly
- modifying reporting relationships for current employees
Such changes can result in the need to:
Your Human Resources Consultant will review your plan with you to help identify potentially problematic issues and discuss alternative options.
Labor Relations Considerations
Reorganizations that affect classified staff covered by a labor contract often raise concerns about:
- "skimming," the practice of shifting work away from a bargaining unit
- the obligation to bargain over issues associated with changes to the wages, hours and working conditions of employees in your organization
Your HR Consultant will help you identify, understand, and plan for potential labor relations issues that may arise.
Change Management Considerations
Managing change effectively is no easy task. Take advantage of UW expertise by contacting Professional & Organizational Development (POD). POD can connect you with an organizational development or change management consultant to provide a framework for change, including:
- Setting the Tone - Creating the climate for the change and determining what is changing.
- Communication - Preparing and delivering a single message and vision for change.
- Recognizing and Rewarding Positive Behavior - Implementing and sustaining the change, enabling action, and celebrating short-term wins.
Ensuring that employees, clients, and partners know what is happening, why it is happening, and how it affects them is critical to successful organizational change. The Layoff & Reduction Communications Planning web pages can help you develop your communications plan.
- Assess your organization’s needs and identify possible restructuring options.
- Contact your Human Resources Consultant to review the factors affecting your need for reorganization, including your reorganization plan, if you have developed one. Review before-and-after organizational chart and draft job descriptions, if you have already prepared them. Your HR Consultant will assess the scope of the reorganization and bring in the necessary HR partners to help you understand impact on staffing, procedural requirements, implementation costs, and communication requirements.
- Jointly develop an action plan to implement the reorganization.
Layoff & Reduction - Planning & Implementation