The Malta Employers' Association issued a new publication entitled “Change Management Business Manual” which it recently presented to the media.

The Manual is being published as part of a project entitled “Regeneration Plan for Workplaces” which was led by the Association in 2023 and in which it partnered with SGI Europe and the General Workers’ Union, the MEA said Monday.

This project and resultant publication were aimed at facilitating the transformation of local enterprises by increasing the resilience and sustainability of their business models. The Manual provides a practical tool-kit that supports Employers to anticipate and manage change.

The manual, in fact, incorporates a set of guidelines and procedures for organisations to follow during their restructuring processes or whilst implementing change. It covers various managerial aspects including communication, training, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. The aspects covered in this manual reflect the gaps and consequent areas of intervention needing support which emerged during research conducted by the MEA to fulfil another deliverable in this project.

The research was demanded to ensure relevance of the Manual to the questions and weaknesses manifested by Employers during research phase.

The MEA said it is indebted to the input of over 250 organisations, 200 employees and the direct input of SGI Europe and another four National Employer Associations across Europe that contributed towards the contents and validation of this research.

Through this Business Manual, the Project shall continue to offer practical guidance on managing change to employees and other stakeholders from the development of a strategic plan that outlines the key messages that need to be communicated, the channels to be used, and the timing of these communications. By making use of this manual, organisations may build the necessary safeguards to ensure that employees and other stakeholders are informed about changes as these occur, the MEA said.

This, in turn, serves to reduce uncertainty and anxiety. In today’s complex and highly competitive business scenario where change is the only constant, the MEA is confident that the practical organisational insights provided in this Manual shall serve as a valuable tool for businesses seeking to tackle transformation and continuous improvement in a planned and structured manner to minimize risk and disruption.

In conclusion, through this manual, the MEA is inviting users to participate actively in its own drive towards continuous improvement. In fact, in an effort to keep this reference document alive and render it even more comprehensive, it is encouraging users to contribute further to its contents by submitting further Project name: Social partners supporting anticipation and management of change after COVID-19 knowledge and ideas through a dedicated feedback form that can be accessed directly from the manual by entering the link or scanning the QR Code provided on the back cover. Whilst welcoming feedback and contribution towards future iterations of the Business Manual, MEA encourages businesses particularly it’s members to make best use of such tools being made available.