Services Banner
Industry insights

Change Management

Deborah Feakins 26 Apr 2011
Posted by Deborah Feakins

Pragmatic, effective approaches are not quite as common as the mountain of ‘change management’ literature may suggest. Organisations often struggle with the complexity of change with the common mistake of focusing on the mechanics of change (the what) at the cost of actually managing it (the how) leaving the organisations most critical asset – the people – bewildered and confused by the change.
 
The criticality of maintaining ‘business as usual’ irrespective of external - or for that matter internal - pressures will be paramount. This puts pressure on executive management to ensure change initiatives (large or small) are delivered in a timely and effective manner or the results will be clear to see...
 
Organisations that use a structured change management approach adapt more rapidly and engage more effectively with the workforce. Organisations will therefore maximise short term stability and longer term return on investment. Companies that can effectively balance these two critical components (stability vs change/ROI) are going to be at a competitive advantage.

Comments

6 June 2011 14:26 Russ says

Sounds good. What are your initial pragmatic steps when approaching the start of a change project?

7 June 2011 09:16 Deborah says

Russ, good question. I have always found that mapping the change landscape is the best place to start. Sounds fancy but what I really mean is that you map out all those individuals, functions, buisness units, countrty operations etc. which will be impacted by the change and from there you will see the true level of change to be managed, the stakeholders to be engaged and an approach to ensure engagement. Deborah

26 July 2011 10:38 Sarah says

What are the most important things to consider when communicating the change to your staff?

7 November 2011 11:46 Stuart Beech says

Hi Deborah,
Interested to read your posts and 'compare notes' with the Chaucer Way. I wondered if/how Chaucer helps build the client's own capability to manage change effectively? I have worked with a number of organisations over the years in this field and often wonder how we (as consultants) can really help embed this capability with our clients?
Interested to hear your views / experience & happy to share.
Regards
Stuart Beech

18 November 2011 09:54 Deborah Feakins says

Hi Stuart, thanks for your thoughtful question.
You are right that leaving behind Change Management capability is important. It is always good to consider this at the beginning of an engagement. Fundamentally, there has to be a desire at a senior level within a client organisation to have this legacy which presupposes that they understand the benefits that Change Management can bring to significant programmes of change and to the organisation at large.
In addition, the right Change Management Methodology would need to be identified that suits that organisation. If this is all true and agreed then coaching, mentoring and in context on the job training are all valid methods to begin the embedding process.
Happy to discuss further.
Kind regards
Deborah

28 November 2011 10:45 Stuart Beech says

Hi Deborah,
Thanks for responding to my question. It's always interesting to compare notes.
I'm interested in your comment about the 'right change management methodology . . that suits the organisation'. How do you assess this? I'm aware that some clients I work with are more structured / process driven then others, and tend to look for these qualities in how they approach change. Equally, it is difficult to see a whole organisation in one way and it is often those most influential who influence how change is approached.
What has been your experience?
Thanks.
Kind Regards
Stuart

29 November 2011 13:52 Deborah says

Hi Stuart.
Thanks for your input. You are absolutely correct that many organisations are made up of multiple cultures. When considering the ‘right’ Change Management approach it is important to consider which departments will be impacted and look at whether they have specific or unique in company cultures. Much of this knowledge is detailed and understood during the early Change Landscape work which is the vital precursor for developing the Change Management Strategy. The Change Landscape would also pull out those sponsors and other stakeholders which have significant sway and look to harness that within the approach. I think we agree that one size does not fit all.
I look forward to your response.
Deborah

Leave a Comment

Back to Category