What it means and how to get the most out of it

One of the best benchmarks I have applied to describing the work I do in Change Management is the ability to explain it to my grandmother – and have her understand it. It’s actually a pretty good benchmark for getting your pitch right on any topic.

It’s easy to tell when she does understand because she asks me another question about it, as opposed to offering me a biscuit and changing the subject when I fail to explain it well. I would like to think the long pause she inserts in that gap is due to her slowing down at age 92, but realistically, it’s her economical way of giving me two thumbs down.

It’s not the first time I have encountered some lingering doubt on this subject and it won’t be the last. My financial adviser even remarked to me that explaining this concept was akin to explaining religion!

Clearly, the subject of change management and what it can do for a company are still ambiguous to many.

And I don’t blame them.

I believe we should all take the stance of my grandmother when considering these things because, like her, we want to know what it is, what it can do for me and why people need it. Our corporate lives are way too crammed with biased buzzwords, so clarity and transparency are uniquely valuable.

Why is it confusing?

Firstly, change management is not a stand-alone discipline and its deliverables vary across situations.

Yes, you can be trained in Change Management and yes you can apply specific change-focused analysis and theory. But, the value in your change management program will always come from achieving the right combination of complimentary actions from supporting fields. Supporting fields include strategic planning, organisational realignment, business analysis and improvement, communications, human resource management, capability or leadership development, project management and even marketing, just to name a few.

It’s not just about cultural change

Someone asked me recently if Change Management is all about cultural change. The question disappointed me somewhat, but it’s easy enough to understand how the thinking got to that point. Yes, cultural change is one aspect of change management and equally, organisational development, but sadly, this question tells me that people see Change Management as a soft skill that does not contain rigor or structure, but it sure can make a difference in making people happy, or less sad, or less resistant…

You don’t need a change plan for everything you do

While it’s healthy to consider the way that constant change impacts your team or company, you don’t need to have a change program running all day every day, overseeing your day to day operations.

Some people say to me that good leaders don’t need change management. That’s debatable, but I will agree that strong leaders, in mature and highly aware teams and organisations can make adjustments easier than others.

But – you need to consider the size of your planned changes and how they will be managed. A useful threshold can be established through considering the change scale, complexity, investment and time. I suggest using these questions to set your threshold:

• Do you fully understand your current situation versus your future, desired state and how to bridge that gap?
• Who and what will the change impact and can you manage this without causing damage to the project or your corporate reputation (this is best done through an environmental scan and risk assessment)?
• How quickly does it need to happen? It is best to give these things time, but if the pace is out of your control, you may need to call in a specialist.
• Is the change something that you can handle through your BAU operations, resources and capabilities (this needs to factor in worst case scenarios)?
• Is the change moving you into an area that you have not been before and need to understand better?
• Does the change require work across a number of work streams/departments and stakeholder types?
• Do you need external benchmarking, expertise or feedback to guide your planning?
• Finally, what is it worth to you – i.e. is it worth investing in some specific support to get it right?

So, what should I look for in a Change Management Program?

A Change Manager that listens, learns and adapts.

First and foremost, you need to have a program that is built upon a detailed understanding of your organisation, the situation and what tangible steps can be taken to achieve your goals. This is so important, so whoever is leading this work needs to be able to listen, learn from your history, assess the situation clearly, build relationships and generate energy.

A targeted solution

It is so critical that you don’t engage a company that will give a cookie-cutter solution, that worked in a similar company or that solely relies upon their generic methodology. Every situation is unique, every change program should contain unique attributes and your targeted end state typically should put you in a competitive position with a strong point of difference.

A flexible solution

If your change or transformation is set to occur over a number of months or even years (transformation programs can run well over 5 years), then make sure your solution is not too rigid to adapt and make use of opportunities or avoid new traps. Change Management is often used to implement new systems into large organisations and these projects can change quickly due to changed requirements or technological capabilities. An agile approach that is underpinned by the ongoing change plan needs to be shown up front to help you manage your scope of works and maintain your momentum.

A creative solution

To achieve something new, you will need to use some new thinking. Whether you call it innovation or out of the box thinking, make sure your change program includes landmark workshops that help you to ditch your standard thinking, consider new possibilities and make a plan that will overcome the challenges that have held you back in the past.

An integrated solution that your people can own

From the outset, your change program needs to be connected to the business and deliver outcomes through the business. I always think like this:

“Our solution needs to be best for the business, by the business, of the business’”.

This mantra takes in the view of the customer as a part of the business picture. The mantra also reminds you to keep the program rooted in the business operations, connected to the end user needs and delivered in a way that ensures the staff will own it not just during the change but into the future.

A smart blend of work streams across multiple disciplines

As I mentioned earlier, a change management plan without multiple streams of work is likely to be a wasted opportunity. To truly transition to an improved state you need to research, communicate, build teams, develop leaders, improve business practices, deliver systems, model behaviours, introduce new tools, train people, evaluate thoroughly and measure benefits.

Supported by proven capability that will stay the course

A good solution will typically come from the people with the right skills, experience and ability to influence. These leaders are inherently involved in the development of this solution and if you want it to succeed, they should be part of the delivery phase.

If you’re A-team shows up to pitch a solution and then amidst smoke and squealing tyres, the B-team slips into their place, you are in trouble. Whether it’s internal or external resourcing, insist on consistency and keep the leaders involved in your critical activities. Succession planning is good, but passing an unsupported hot potato is just as dangerous for your supplier as it is for you.

A well-structured plan underpinned by project management tools

Change Management delivered well, has to be structured, smart and underpinned by a project management approach, tangible KPIs and it needs to be outcomes-based.

The first thing that will diminish confidence in your change project is a wishy-washy, touchy feely approach. Your stakeholders are just waiting to shoot this intangible rubbish down, so don’t give them the chance. Build a schedule, budget, KPIs, task leaders, leverage sponsors and make it real, exciting and full of momentum. Sure, you need to build relationships and invest time in them but don’t get lost in the issue you are trying to fix. Stay on task and stick to the plan. Your window to make it stick is small, don’t waste time where there is no value.

The wrap up

So, looking back, I don’t know that my grandmother would have quite taken all of that in, but hopefully this has given you a better idea of what change management is, what you should include in a successful program and what to avoid.

If you would like to know more, drop me a note on benjamins@stockwellbretton.com