Keka HR Katalyst Hyderabad: ‘Focus on clear message to combat change fatigue’

Change Agents: HR professionals taking part in the first chapter of HR Katalyst in Hyderabad.

Organizations must focus on clear communication, setting cadence, change management and celebrating milestones in an effort mitigate change fatigue, said a speaker at HR Katalyst summit in Hyderabad.  

“When you propose a change, you must clearly articulate the reasons for it, the way you’ll enable it and the expected outcome,” said Sujiv Nair, Global Chief Human Resource Officer at Re Sustainability Limited.

Multiple levels

He added that these articulations must be reiterated and communicated across different levels of the company. “Different talent segments must be aware of how the change will affect them,” he said.  

Keka, an HR technology leader, organized this year’s first chapter of HR Katalyst in Hyderabad. The day-long gathering saw the participation of more than 400 HR professionals. The gathering featured a panel discussion, a wellness session, a case study presentation contest, a fireside chat and a stand-up comedy show. 

Health First: HR professionals taking part in a wellness session at HR Katalyst in Hyderabad.

Suggesting further means to deal with change fatigue, Mr. Nair advised that change must be introduced to diverse generations of employees uniquely. “This is important for bringing about transformations,” he stressed.  

Celebrate wins, failures 

And remember to celebrate milestones. “Celebrate both wins and failures. In fact, there’s nothing called failures if you view them as learning opportunities,” asserted Mr. Nair, who spoke at the panel discussion on ‘Understanding the Transformation Deficit’.  

Emphasizing the need to identify the reasons for change fatigue, Shruti Dhawan Singh, AVP of Human Resources and Admin at Advantum Health said, “It could be owing to lack of skills or will.” 

Sometimes, change may stress individuals when it doesn’t suit their preferences. This may lead to fatigue, she added.  

HRs must attempt to identify the problem areas causing the fatigue, she said. “We must act as change agents across organizations and balance emotional and rational aspects of the concerns.” 

Answering a query on ways to measure change fatigue, Ms. Singh said indicators like absenteeism, productivity levels or health of employees could come in handy. “Yet it’s difficult to zero in on definitive indicators,” she added.  

Inspiring minds:  HR leaders taking part in a panel discussion at HR Katalyst in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, at a fireside chat, Ravi Dangwal, head of Learning and Development at Indian Immunologicals Limited, stressed transformational leadership’s benefits for team performance.  

Transformational leadership is like antigen in vaccine, he claimed. “But antigen alone doesn’t suffice in vaccine. You need an adjuvant as a facilitator too. This can come in the form of situational leadership coupled with emotional intelligence and servant leadership,” he said.  

Define ‘experience’ holistically 

Further, in a bid to identify traits of a transformational leader, Mr. Dangwal said they should stimulate intellect, be charismatic and tailor solutions uniquely for different individuals.  

In addition, he said the definition of work experience must go beyond tenure. “Your awareness and how much you’ve implemented with that awareness matters too,” he said.  

The gathering was organized in partnership with Onsurity, Fi and Cult Fit. 

The next chapter of HR Katalyst will be organized in Chandigarh on February 28.  

Register for the Chandigarh HR Katalyst here.