Expert Tips for Change Management

Expert Tips for Successful Change Management
by Lindsey Agness

Why do some change projects fail whilst others succeed? It is a very interesting question. There are three core areas of focus during any change process: process, systems and people.
This post explores the impact of change management on people; the processes, tools and techniques required to pro-actively change people’s thinking and their behaviour – in order to realise the anticipated benefits of your project. This means engaging with staff and helping them through the change process.
The good news is that research shows projects with an excellent focus on the people aspects of change, to be nearly six times more likely to realise the anticipated benefits than those teams with poor or no focus (95% vs. 16% respectively, according to Prosci Research in the USA).

So what are the greatest contributors to success?

Top tip no. 1: Be clear about the burning need for the change
Staff are more likely to collaborate with your change project and be willing to engage with the change process if they understand why the change project is necessary in the first place.
If you provide staff with enough compelling reasons, they are much more likely to engage with what needs to be achieved. Without explaining the reasons ‘why’, staff are likely to be ‘turned off’ and become disengaged; or may even sabotage the project.
Top tip no. 2: Set clear outcomes and business benefits for the project
Realising value is about ensuring that projects deliver the anticipated benefits for the business. The advantages of setting clear and measurable business benefits include having clear goals that can be communicated to staff, knowing the costs, identifying the risks, and ensuring the return on investment is understood from the start.
In contrast, unclear business benefits lead to a lack of focus, wasted effort and money, frustrated and de-motivated staff. This is not rocket science and yet, many businesses still do not give the planning stage enough attention.

Top tip no. 3: Encourage active and visible executive sponsorship
Leaders in your organisation need to visibly sponsor the change project. Too often they allow themselves to get diverted onto the next ‘sexy’ project that comes along. In addition, if they are expecting any change in values and behaviours they must be seen to role model them. Leaders who flout the new policy send out an extremely destructive about the validity of the change programme.
Top Tip no. 4: Create frequent and open communication around the need for change
It will take more than one announcement for the change message to be heard and digested by staff. The rule of thumb is seven times! This means using several different channels; and importantly, to keep communicating a consistent set of key messages. You simply cannot over-communicate.
It’s important to spend some time working on your strategy for communication and stakeholder management then developing a plan to deliver it effectively. There are four key phases of communication in a successful change project:

• Explaining the need
• Clarifying the vision
• Inspiring action
• Sustaining momentum

Project communication will often start well, but fizzles out part-way through the lifetime of the project. Make sure this doesn’t happen to yours!
Top tip no. 5: Use a structured change management approach
Use a structured and consistent change management approach instead of the more common ‘hope for the best’ alternative. Develop or buy an approach that can be scaled up for large transformational projects and scaled down for smaller challenges.
My own methodology includes a tool-kit of processes, templates and practice guides that can be modified according to need. The best results come from allocating dedicated project resources and funding. All too often, organisations attempt to add change management responsibilities to existing busy day jobs. This simply does not work.
Top tip no. 6: Put yourselves in your employees’ shoes
Finally, pay attention to the personal side of change. The ways people respond to change will depend upon three key elements: the amount of change going on, the impact of the change on them personally, and what else is going on in their private lives.
Each person’s threshold for change will be different. Imagine what it feels like to be in their shoes during the change project. What do they believe about the project? How are they likely to be feeling? How are they behaving? It will then become possible to assist them through the process in the most effective way.
One extra tip is to encourage people to focus on those aspects they can influence and control rather than on what they cannot. Help them to understand any positives and ‘what is in it for them’. In these ways you can help them to get involved and build their commitment to the change.