The Change Activate founder discusses employee trust, behavioral risk, artificial intelligence and why successful change begins with listening.

By Tajala Kelly

Companies regularly spend millions of dollars introducing new systems, updating workplace processes and restructuring their operations. Yet even the best technology can fail when employees do not understand it, trust it or feel supported through the change.

For Cameal Harris, Founder and CEO of Change Activate, that is the issue many business leaders continue to overlook.

Harris is an organizational transformation strategist, author, speaker and technology founder who is pursuing a doctorate in organizational psychology. Her work focuses on helping companies manage large-scale change without losing sight of the people expected to carry it out.

During a recent interview, Harris explained that organizations often become so focused on speed, profits and technology that they overlook their most important resource: their employees.

“Companies have one goal in mind, and that is to make money,” Harris said. “A lot of times, they get so hyper-focused on the processes and technology that they completely miss the mark on the most important thing, and that is the people.”

Why workplace transformations fail

Harris has worked with organizations going through major technology and operational changes. Through that experience, she has noticed a common problem: leaders may believe a transformation is successful because employees attended training and completed the required steps, but the new system is not always being used.

She gave the example of a longtime finance employee who has spent years working from a familiar spreadsheet. The company may introduce a new system and require the employee to complete training, but after the launch, the employee may return to the old spreadsheet because it feels faster and more comfortable.

On paper, the training was completed. In practice, adoption never happened.

“There’s a lack of adoption, and we’re talking in the millions,” Harris said, referring to the amount companies may invest in systems that employees do not fully use.

She described another challenge as “organizational gravity,” or the pull employees may feel toward familiar routines and older ways of working.

This can become even more complicated during mergers and acquisitions, when organizations bring together employees with different workplace cultures, habits and expectations.

According to Harris, successful transformation starts with understanding how employees currently work and comparing that reality with where the organization wants to go.

She recommends three basic steps: understand the gap between the current and future state, identify the risks involved and create a plan to reduce those risks.

That process should include more than technical problems. Leaders must also examine workplace culture, employee behavior, communication and the day-to-day experiences of the people affected by the change.

Creating psychological safety at work

A major part of Harris’ work focuses on psychological safety.

In simple terms, psychological safety means creating a workplace where employees feel comfortable asking questions, admitting they do not understand something, sharing concerns and speaking honestly without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

That sense of safety can be especially important during periods of rapid change.

Employees may worry about whether they can learn a new system, whether their jobs are secure or whether artificial intelligence will eventually replace them. When they do not feel safe, they may remain silent rather than admit that they need help.

“Psychological safety creates an environment where people feel safe to say, ‘I don’t know,’ especially during a time of transformation,” Harris explained.

Silence should not automatically be viewed as agreement, she added. Employees who stop asking questions or sharing concerns may be emotionally checking out or quietly planning to leave.

“If companies are not investing in their people, as soon as things change, you’re going to lose all the best people,” Harris said.

Losing experienced employees can create additional costs for a company, including recruiting, hiring and training replacements.

Moving beyond traditional employee surveys

Many companies rely on employee surveys to understand workplace morale, but Harris believes traditional surveys have serious limits.

Surveys are often completed after a problem has already developed. Some employees rush through them, provide answers they believe management wants to hear or avoid giving honest feedback because they do not expect anything to change.

“Traditional surveys are reactive,” Harris said. “It’s after the fact.”

She also noted that employees often become discouraged when companies request feedback but never explain the results or take visible action.

That concern helped inspire the development of RIDIER OS™, a technology platform Harris co-founded to help organizations better understand employee experiences during periods of change.

Harris describes the platform as a type of nervous system for an organization. Its purpose is to reveal concerns that may exist beneath the surface and give leaders greater insight into possible behavioral risks.

Behavioral risk can include actions or patterns that may affect the success of a workplace change, such as low trust, resistance, confusion, disengagement or poor adoption of a new system.

Rather than waiting for an employee to leave before discovering that a problem existed, Harris wants companies to identify warning signs earlier.

She said RIDIER OS™ is being designed to help organizations examine patterns while protecting individual identities. Employees would not need to enter identifying information such as their names or email addresses, while leaders would receive broader insight into workplace trends across departments, roles or locations.

The platform is also intended to connect employees with resources when additional support is needed, including existing employee assistance programs and professional services.

Harris emphasized that the tool is not a replacement for therapy or licensed clinical care. Instead, it is designed to help employees process workplace concerns, locate resources and communicate what they are experiencing.

Can artificial intelligence improve workplace culture?

As artificial intelligence becomes more common, employees and leaders are continuing to debate its effect on the future of work.

Harris believes AI can improve workplace culture when organizations use it as a tool rather than treating it as a replacement for human beings.

“We cannot get rid of the people,” she said. “Our people are at the heart of our organizations. When you say organizational culture, aren’t the people the culture?”

She acknowledged that fear around AI is real. Workers may worry about layoffs, job security and whether their skills will remain valuable.

Because of that, leaders must communicate clearly about how AI will be used and what it means for employees. Introducing new technology without addressing those concerns can create distrust and resistance.

Harris believes organizations should use AI to strengthen communication, identify risks and help employees access support. However, technology alone cannot create a healthy workplace.

The deciding factor remains whether employees feel heard, valued and included.

From business mission to personal ministry

Harris has developed a consulting company, written a book and moved into technology entrepreneurship. Through that journey, her biggest lesson has been to remain connected to the purpose behind her work.

She no longer describes that purpose as simply a mission.

“I call it my ministry,” Harris said. “My personal plan is to create safe cycles.”

She said entrepreneurship can bring distractions, new opportunities and pressure to move in different directions. Staying focused on a larger purpose has helped keep her grounded.

For Harris, the work is not simply about developing another workplace product. It is about supporting employees who spend much of their lives at work while also managing family responsibilities, financial pressure and personal challenges.

“Don’t make it about you,” she said. “Make it about the people.”

A vision for the future of work

Over the next five years, Harris hopes organizations will gain a clearer understanding of how employees are feeling and become more proactive about providing support.

She envisions workplaces where employees feel comfortable speaking up, asking for help and participating in change. She also hopes companies will make mental health and employee support resources easier to find and use.

Most importantly, she wants leaders to stop treating employee well-being and business performance as separate issues.

A company’s ability to remain productive, profitable and innovative is closely connected to whether its employees feel supported enough to contribute.

For leaders who want to create a healthier culture immediately, Harris offered one direct piece of advice:

“Listen to your people.”

That means creating a real open-door environment, examining workplace gaps and taking employee concerns seriously before they become larger problems.

Organizations can continue investing in new systems, new processes and artificial intelligence. But according to Harris, sustainable transformation will always begin with the people expected to make it work.