How to Implement Change Management Effectively
Simply put, change management is the process of preparing people at all different levels of a company’s hierarchy to not only be ready for the inevitable change that is coming, but also deal with it constructively. Implementing change within a business is slow or ineffective due to the lack of enthusiasm in the team. Moreover, the change management process is a battle between changes within the organization and changing an individual’s mindset. Even though change is essential for growth (whether on a personal or professional level), people are generally resistant to change.
When implementing organizational change within a company there are two main types: adaptive change and transformational change. Both the types of change come with their own issues which is where the change management process comes in - hand-in-hand with change management consultants. Occasionally, it is better to get an outside consultant who has no predispositions to the company or its employees.
Change Management Guide
Kotters Change Model
- Kotters Change Model consists of eight steps:
- Instil the need for change
- Build a team to implement the change
- Get on the same page regarding the needed change
- Get others in the company on board
- Identify any barriers to the change and remove them
- Generate short-term and long-term wins
- Make the processes sustainable
- Make the change
ADKAR Model
The ADKAR model is an acronym which stands for:
- Awareness: a company needs to be aware that a change is necessary
- Desire to change: a company needs to want to make that change
- Knowledge: a company needs to know how to make that change
- Ability: a company needs to make the changes to their processes, behaviours, or skills
- Reinforcement: a company must reinforce these changes so that they last
Awareness
For a change to take place successfully, people need to know about when the change is going to happen? Why the change is important for the company?
Desire
People need to buy into the change, they need to want the change to work. Also, they need to want to be a part of making the change work. Basically, people need to embrace the change rather than shy away from it.
Knowledge
This is where consultants and online consultants come in. Basically, they give people the training, knowledge, and skills to make and sustain the change.
Ability
People need to be able to take their newly learned skills and information and put them into practice. They need to be coached throughout this entire process, but the approach should very much be on a “teach a man to fish” basis.
Reinforcement
There is no point in making a change one day if the next day it doesn’t stick. Simply, a change needs to be continually ingrained and reinforced so that it becomes a force of habit.
Deming Cycle Model
The Deming Cycle is perhaps the simplest of all the change management models. This cycle consists of 4 parts: Plan, Do, Study, Act. One simply needs to Plan and identify any problem areas, then Do and test the changes needed, Study the results to check which changes worked the best, and then Act out the best solutions across the company.
The Change Management Process
The change management process is different from the change management methodology and models. It is the sequence of events to push the change from being just an idea to actually being implemented. Change management benefits are what saves everyone involved in emotional turmoil and stress over the upcoming change. It saves time, it saves resources, and it also saves the company money. Change management also builds individual agility and adaptability and aligns the organization for efficiency. There are nine steps to ensuring that your change management process goes off without a hitch:
- Identify what needs to be changed
- Get buy-in across all hierarchical levels of the organization
- Begin planning what needs to happen for the change and what the result of the change will be
- Consider the resources, finances and change management support tools needed to make the change
- Communicate the change to everyone
- Make the change needed for improvement
- Monitor any change management resistance
- Celebrate small and big wins to raise morale
- Review the effects of the change, revise the strategy, and improve
Change Management Resistance
Of course, change comes with resistance. Change Management resistance comes predominantly from the human element of the process – including team members and consumers or clients alike. It basically takes time for people to come to terms with change. This is because they are so used to doing one thing, that the idea of doing another (and not knowing how it will turn out), scares them. This is understandable since change does come with risk. Therefore, the people whom the change affects, should be involved in the decision-making process early on. So that, they have sufficient time to not only accept the inevitable, but also get on board and support the change.
Change Management Support
You may be asking yourself what are the change management tools and how do they support the process? Consultants or leaders involved implement change management support and the associated tools on an internal level. Basically, these support tools are product roadmaps, assessments to gauge readiness, training sessions, feedback forums to assess how the change is going, reviews for everyone that initiated the change and for everyone affected by the change, data analytic tools to measure change in performance as well as resistance management and outside help.
If you believe your company could benefit from change management, you are almost 100% right. This is because when implemented correctly, it can have a huge benefit on almost all aspects of your business, including cutting costs and improving company culture. If you are hesitant on how you can organise this change management, why not hire an expert who has experience with effectively implementing change management. Moreover, people can experience change as scary or uncertain. But, if a business follows the right methodology and uses all the tools, resources and third party help at their disposal, change can be seamless and extremely beneficial.
