Manage the volume of change that is going to happen in spurts.  Don’t try and make a huge impact on the organization and employees at the same time.  If you can transition the change in steps, it will be easier on the staff.  The business theory should be to manage the volume so people are more flexible.

Your business theory for implementing process improvements also needs to be understanding.  Employees are naturally going to react to changes.  Some employees may have to perform processes that they have been doing for years in an entirely new way.  It is important to be as understanding as possible to all of the different reactions you see.  People may be uncertain about their abilities to perform their job functions anymore, or they may be worried that their job is becoming obsolete with the new changes. 

Communicate to employees when changes are coming down the pipeline.  The business theory should be that there are no surprises to employees.  Communication efforts should include verbal talks with management, emails regarding the change and the time and date, and even postings around the company. Never forget to tell employees or they will be very upset about changes, especially if it will impact their day to day workload.

The business theory for communicating change to employees also needs to focus on the positive results the improvement changes are going to have for the company as a whole as well for each individual employee.  This needs to be reiterated to the staff.  In addition, a good leader will find ways to communicate how the changes will benefit the employees within their own careers as well.

Coping with change is difficult for many employees when they have been with a company for a long time.  You need to make change easy, and help employees cope and find the positive aspects of the change.  Your business theory should be to provide as much support to employees as possible and encourage them to see the positive side of the changes and how it will benefit them individually, as well as the company as a whole.