7
Steps for Managing Change
What It Means
In today’s
ever-shifting market, most organizations are in a constant state of change.
They have to be just to stay in the game. And to win at the game, your
organization will need a structured and effective way to manage the change
process.
Why It Matters
·
Customers
continue to expect faster, more reliable, more innovative and often cheaper
products and services.
·
Competitors
are changing and developing; maintaining status quo will eventually erode your
advantage.
·
Process
redesign, service enhancements, reorganizations, mergers & acquisitions,
and a host of other business decisions require change management.
·
Associate
(Employees) are human and it’s human nature to resist change.
·
Change
done right can create a better bottom line, increase customer retention, and
improve associate satisfaction.
·
A
well-thought-out approach can make change easier to implement and more likely
to last.
“Change is happening every day in
today’s business.” Jack Welch
7 Steps
for Managing Change
It’s said
that there are only three guarantees in the life of a business:
·
First,
that change will happen
·
Second,
most people will naturally resist change
·
Third,
that the larger the change, the more structured the approach will need to be to
ensure that the new direction will last.
I will
present the “Change Acceleration Process” model you can use to evaluate how
well the project or initiative is progressing and where attention is required.
To start, there’s a little research you will need to do to understand how much
acceptance or resistance to change you’re likely to encounter.
Your
Starting Point
There are
six questions you should address before you get started with your plan. Take
some time to really think about these, and write down your answers. These will
help you as you begin your change journey.
1.
Have
change efforts in your organization generally succeeded or failed in the past?
2.
Is
there a history of multiple programs that didn’t last but washed out over time?
3.
Do
senior leaders voice their support regarding change efforts? Provide specific
examples.
4.
Is
a vision of the future well-articulated so associates know what the future
means for them?
5.
Are
solutions put in place to eliminate or reduce errors during a change?
6.
Does
the current change process take into consideration where power is gained and
lost? Give specific examples.
Quick Wins
for Managing Change
As you
prepare for, or take over, implementing a change in your organization, you can
gain some quick wins by looking at past efforts and assessing how these can
inform your present initiatives. Complete the following activities and write
down your answers to the questions.
·
Collect your organization’s goals,
culture and values, whether those are written down in mission and value statements
or simply unwritten behaviors.
·
Does the change you’re about to
kick off or take over match the direction in which the company is already
headed?
·
Are the new behaviors you want
people to adopt in line with the organization’s culture?
·
The past provides hints for what
works and what doesn’t in organizations, so find out about lessons learned from
previous change initiatives in your organization.
·
Were similar efforts successful or is
there a history of big change initiatives that never got fully implemented?
·
Did those change become the “new
normal”?
·
Are associates burned out on change
(Change Saturation)?
·
Have lots of major changes like an
acquisition, multiple leadership replacements and new operating platforms
occurred in recent months?
·
Has your organization been known
for making changes often and not sticking with them?
·
Are other substantial efforts going
on at the same time?
·
Will you be competing for
resources?
·
Can you combine any efforts to ease
the burdens on the organization?
What’s in it for Me?
It’s never
too soon to formulate the, “What’s in it for me?” or “WIIFM” question, as
you’ll quickly be required to articulate why the change is necessary and what
the value is at a variety of levels.
As you craft
your WIIFM statements, ask (and answer) the following questions using the steps
that follow to guide you:
Why is this change good for the
organization?
·
First,
define the “organization.” Is it your function, location, division, or the
entire corporation/institution?
·
Second,
can you communicate all information available or are some parts of the change
currently on a “need to know” basis?
·
Third,
how is the change intended to effect the organization?
Ø
Financially,
such as bottom-line income, revenue growth, or reduction in losses
Ø
In
response to legal or compliance requirements, such as mandates, new regulations
or proactively addressing gaps
Ø
Operationally,
such as capacity, capability, consistency, and quality
Ø
Public
Relations, will the changes make the organization better in the eyes of
existing or prospective customers, its community, and in the industry?
·
And
fourth, why does the intended effect matter? If capacity is increased, what are
the potential benefits?
Why is this change good for the
customer?
·
It’s
important to clearly articulate who the customer is. Is the customer internal
or external? Is there a particular segment of the customer base that the change
is targeting?
·
If
the change succeeds, only include what the customer will experience as a result
of it. Will their service experience be faster? Will the reliability of what they
count on from your organization be better? Will the product or service be
better or cheaper? Will they get more or less? Which is better?
·
From
the eyes of the customer, why does that new experience matter?
Why is the change good for
associates/employees/team members?
·
Not
every change affects every associate. What part of the workforce is this change
most relevant to?
·
Consider
the Organizational WIIFM to start ascertaining associate benefits, for example:
Ø
If
the organization’s benefit is revenue growth related, is it about more job
postings and opportunities for associates?
Ø
If
capability increases, will new training offer the chance to obtain more skills?
Ø
If
compliance policies are improved, will it help associates avoid doing things
that could get them in trouble?
·
Take
it to the last step, from the eyes of the associate, why does this matter?
Why is the change good for you?
·
As
the leader of the change, you are being watched. Honesty and candor go a long
way and the “voice” the organization hears regarding your WIIFM, needs to be
your own.
·
Find
your passion. To make a major initiative or project succeed, it’s not just a
job. Consider where you get your energy to walk in everyday to create and
deliver on a new course for the future. That is likely part of your WIIFM.
·
When
the change is completed, where do you see yourself? If successful, will you
have better customer relationships? Will you be managing the new processes with
fewer headaches? Will you be re-locating to lead the next, even bigger
challenge?
Setting a Baseline for Change
One of the
most important tools is the “7 Steps Progress Graph.” It provides a baseline
and metrics to evaluate progress in a variety of areas. When you begin the
initiative, do an honest baseline of how effective the organization is in preparation,
implementation, and sustainability. It’s likely that you’ll have zeros in many
areas of the program, if it is new. Key steps in this assessment are below:
1. Leading
Change – Are
senior leaders publicly supporting your effort?
2. Creating
a Shared Need – Do
your associates understand and agree with why the change is needed?
3. Shaping
a Vision – Has the
vision of what the future looks like been clearly communicated and understood?
4. Mobilizing
Commitment – Are
the communications for the change effort well planned and executed? Is there a
ground swell of support?
5. Making
Change Last – Are
there protocols in place to prevent mistakes that can happen with the change?
Are there safeguards, preferably electronic or physical, to make sure that
three is no way to revert to old behaviors?
6. Monitoring
Progress – Are
there effective measurements that indicate how much the customer or business
cares about the intended impact of the change?
7. Changing
Systems and Structures
– Is the organization’s structure aligned to support the change in the
following ways:
·
Are
the right people hired for the new activities?
·
Are
systems set up to make the change easy to accept?
·
Is
training developed to set up associates for success?