Change Management

Prepare yourself and your company for change.

Change happens in small, almost incidental increments that, while not always agreed with, raise little resistance. Large-scale, or transformational change, is a different kettle of fish. From rethinking an organisational process to wholesale restructuring – the only thing that is guaranteed with change is that it won’t be easy. In fact, 60% of organisational change efforts fail.

Despite advances in management science, most leaders still view organisations as machines – tinkering and streamlining to leverage opportunities and improve efficiency. But organisations and machines are fundamentally different – the major point of difference is people. So it’s unsurprising that the most common points of failure for change projects are human related.

What can organisations do to give change initiatives the best chance of success? Our top six tips are to:

1

Adopt a well regarded change model and follow it: John Kotter achieved incredible success with his eight-step change model. While the extent to which you implement each step may change depending on the extent of your change effort, it is important that each step is considered and adapted to suit your purpose. 

2

Allow individuals time to ‘process’: Most change efforts start as the well kept secret of a small number of high level executives. During the initial planning stage, these individuals become ‘acclimatised’ to the change. The same cannot be said for the rest of the organisation. Ensure staff have suffi cient time and information to process the change and reach considered conclusions.

3

Treat ‘resistance’ as a key information resource: A common reaction to negative feedback is to treat it as resistance and batten down the hatches. Re-framing ‘resistance’ as a valid source of information can lead to improved change options.

4

All organisations have ‘change agents’ – identify yours and work with them: Change agents do not have to be those formally leading the change. These are individuals at any level of the organisation who understand people, are strong self-starters with the ability to influence and motivate change in others.

5

Be realistic about what to expect: Despite the best planning and effort on your part, if your change initiative will negatively impact some or all individuals, you must be realistic about how that change will be received.

6

Be prepared to ‘change the change’: Don’t be afraid to deviate from the plan. Effective consultation and dialogue with staff may identify information or issues that may not have been apparent. There is no golden rule that the best change plans come from the top. Be open to
new ideas and approaches wherever they come from

These tips will not guarantee an easy ride, but they will make you better prepared for the change journey.