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Change Management Strategies & Programmes
Organisations are constantly changing, often as a result of events which affect
the status quo, such as process improvements, the introduction of new technology,
organisational restructuring or mergers.
The greatest challenge for organisations implementing such change is to achieve
the cultural or behavioural change that is often required to achieve the planned
benefits, even when it is recognised that change is required.
Behavioural change in organisations does not just happen. Typically, change will
only occur if an initiative has direction, leadership, very clear goals and benefits
for its key stakeholders; and of course, all of these are communicated well and
in a timely manner.
For it to be successful, change management needs to be practised for some
time, to ensure sustainability. Lasting cultural change will only be achieved by
creative planning, skilful communication and by developing a coherent change strategy
that will drive, achieve and sustain real change.
A Strategy for Change
Three important principles are central to managing change:
- Change management is not the goal in itself: it is a means to an end, and
the end is an improvement in an organisation's performance. It is about effectively
managing a process that will lead to an environment where an improvement in performance
are realised.
- The "targets" of change must play an active role in realising the change:
Successful Change projects will identify and communicate the vision, letting
the employees know they are expected and empowered to play an active role in
realising the planned benefits.
- An organisation's employees are their greatest asset: potentially, they are
also the greatest challenge. For a vision to become reality, those at the “coal-face” must
believe in the project and have the desire to achieve it.
There are many strategies and techniques to support Change Management, particularly
those aimed at impacting the values, attitudes and habits that we as individuals
demonstrate while we are at work. The fundamentals of change are contained within
five key steps.
Before launching a project, the team should conduct the following:
- Benefits Identification :
The early identification and agreement of the benefits and in particular the
outcomes that the change programme is to produce is essential.
- Executive Sponsorship: sponsors must communicate and drive
strategic business objectives. Gaining effective sponsorship and leadership is
the first step in the change to be implemented.
- Readiness Assessment: An assessment of the readiness of the
organisation to adopt the changes required will enable a realistic implementation
plan to be developed.
- Benefits Realisation
Planning: Having identified the benefits of the programme it is important
to detail the plan to show all the key actions and responsibilities to achieve
the required change and realise the planned benefit
- Resistance Management: A major obstacle to successful Change Management is
employee resistance at any level, typically due to: lack of awareness about the
change, fear of change, fear of losing control. It is essential to identify and
manage all stakeholder groups to minimise resistance and build support.
Execution and Implementation
Once the project has been launched, the project should conduct the following 4
key execution steps.
- Communications Plan: If staff
understand what the change is and why it's required, how to
implement the change becomes far less of an issue. It is critical to develop
carefully structured communications plans and mechanisms to inform staff about
the Change programme and how it will affect them.
- Implement the Change Management Plan: It is imperative to
monitor the actions within the Change Management plan, continuously assessing
progress and if necessary revising the plan accordingly.
- Education & Training Plan: A key element of the Change Management plan
is Education & Training, where the aim is to provide the employees in the
organisation with the skills, tools & techniques required for them to perform
their role effectively as the changes are being implemented.
- Active Resistance Management: By actively listening and monitoring feedback
on the panned changes during implementation, to identify any areas where resistance
is being encountered.
Reinforcing Change
Once the change programme is underway, there are three further steps focused upon
sustaining the change.
- Measuring Benefits: Measuring
the benefits delivered by the programme assessing the progress achieved against
the benefits and the outcomes identified at the start.
- Identify Gaps and Manage Resistance: If the some of the anticipated
benefits have not been realised this may be because of gaps in the actions undertaken
or unexpected resistance. Identification of gaps and resistance enables the identification
of corrective actions to reinforce the change.
- Reinforcing Change: Having achieved the new behaviours, process,
practices etc, it is all too common for organisations to slip back to operating
and behaving along the original familiar lines.
On a regular basis, monitor the organisational performance relative to the goals
of the Change Management project, developing where appropriate corrective actions
to reinforce the desired changes.
today to find out more on how to we can support you with your Change Management
programmes with change management strategies, change management planning, and benefits
planning and realisation .
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