7 Effective Strategies To Soothe Your Stressed Staff When Moving

• September 18, 2018
• Bill Chen

Last updated on October 30, 2023

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh

Is your business expanding? Or are you downsizing your physical office space? If so, you will more than likely need to move your office to a new building.

The reasons for relocating your business to a new office park do not matter. What matters is that moving can be very stressful for both yourself and your staff even if the benefits of office relocation far outweigh the negatives.

Effective strategies for a successful office move

Therefore, the salient point here is not to dwell on the whys and pressures of the move. The fact is that the move is necessary.  It is far better to put together strategies to help yourself, and your staff manages the moving stresses. Consequently, here are eight practical tips for a stress-free move:

Emphasise your staff’s ability to cope with the move

When it comes to moving your business, it’s important to remember that your employees are more resilient than they may realize. While the prospect of relocating can be stressful, your team has the inner strength to work together and make the transition as smooth as possible. One way to ensure a successful move is to hire professional removalists who are experienced in managing all aspects of the relocation process. By entrusting your move to skilled professionals, you can reduce the burden on your staff and enable them to focus on their core responsibilities.

Plan and execute the move as a formal project

There are many useful project management tools such as the well-known Gantt Chart whose primary function is to help you draw up a detailed moving plan as a list of all the tasks (and sub-tasks) that need to be completed to make the move a success and the friendly removalists North Turramurra. Additionally, this project plan must include deadline dates and staff assignments for each sub-task.

Hold inclusive project meetings

Finally, it is vital to hold daily or weekly meetings to make sure that everyone is on track to meet their allocated deadline dates. These meetings will also help pinpoint any challenges that will prevent the project from being completed on time.

Keep communication channels open

Ensuring that your staff understands and appreciates the fact that they can talk to management about any issues they might be experiencing with the move is a core aspect of any successful move. If staff feel that they cannot be honest about their stresses, it will breed resentment amongst your employees, increase stress levels, and potentially cause delays and hiccups in your moving schedule.

Assign a key person to manage staff stresses and expectations

Part of a successful move is to assign a staff member to be the point of contact between yourself and your employees. This will allow your staff to express any issues and concerns that they might have. It is also important to stress that concerns must be raised healthily. Shouting and blaming other employees for delays and challenges is both unhealthy and counterproductive.

Complement staff for project tasks completed

It is vital to complement your staff when they have completed their allocated tasks timeously and successfully. People appreciate recognition for working hard. You will find that recognising the small successes, will ultimately translate into a successful move.

Plan a post-moving party