4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at work

4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at work4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at workManagers should always be prepared for changes that come their way at work. No leader and no work situation is perfect, but there are ways to enaya that youre covered if something comes up on a big day, or massive, company-wide changes are announced.Here are four ways to be ready for anything that comes your way.Make sure team members know how to fill in on other jobsYoull want to be sure that youre covered if something comes up. In other words, your team is better off if multiple members know how to handle the basics of other job responsibilities.Things happen.Never only have a Plan ARoy Osing, author of book series Be Different or Be Dead, blogger, coach, educator and adviser, writes on TalentCulture that ones of the ways to cope when the unexpected wants to sabotage your company is to have a Plan B mentality.A surprising new technology is introduced, a new competitor springs up, mar ket pricing suddenly is reduced, government policy changes and customer demand changes without warning, he writes. The only effective coping mechanism in the face of this dynamic is to have contingency plans on the shelf ready to go on a moments notice. These what if plans are just as important no, MORE important than the cousine plan because they prepare the organization for a body blow they make responding to the unexpected an integral part of the culture.Be ready well before its critical for the survival of your team.Be as transparent as possibleDont leave your team members in the dark - its not fair to them.While they dont necessarily need a play-by-play of the chain of events, you owe it to them to be as upfront as you can so they dont feel like they dont know whats going on.After all, no one likes to find out at the last minute about changes that could impact their livelihood.Always work aheadInstead of accepting the bare minimum, make sure team members are able to work fas ter if need be.Say a huge deadline is moved up, or a major meeting with executives has been rescheduled - youll want to make sure that your team is able to adapt to these new demands.Your job as a leader is to cultivate an environment where team members feel comfortable rapidly adapting to change, and are able to move forward, doing their best work.