How to Change Company Policies

Changing Policies

Change can be difficult when it comes to company policy. You can plan on meeting considerable resistance in large or long-established organizations where the same company policy has been in place for years. The key is to pull together a team of the best stakeholders and decision makers to implement the new ideas and to explain to everyone involved---particularly upper management---how the policy change will improve the company. Common types of company policies relate to human resources, privacy issues, safety concerns and other areas regulated by the government. Changes in upper-level management, industry regulation or a specific vendor also can affect internal policy.

Instructions

1. Use current policy assessments to encourage employee commitment. Your manager may be able to advise you on how to obtain the necessary information from internal audit staff or other policy control units. Don't assume that employees or managers are aware of the impending policy changes. When the time is right, inform employees and management by the most common form of communication used in the organization, whether it is by mail, email or other means.

2. Create a task force for policy reform. Recommend team members representing all functions within the company---from accounting and finance to legal and administrative. Form a steering committee to help guide the decision-making process.

3. Gather data needed to enforce new policy. For instance, if the policy change relates to taxation, provide research on the effects of the new tax laws. Try to find information about effective enforcement strategies at other companies in the industry. A good place to look is the annual report.

4. Prepare a draft of the new policy. Keep it simple and be specific. Identify where and to whom the policy applies.

5. Develop rationale, including values and benefits, for the policy change. Explain how you plan to enforce the new policy.

6. Present the proposed policy change to senior management for ratification.

7. Publish copies of the new policy and distribute to all internal stakeholders.

References

• The Manager: What Makes a Good Change Agent?