Many organisations are experiencing an unprecedented rate of change in their businesses, the markets they serve, the changing economic and trading conditions, internal operations, and of course their human interactions with dealing with disrupted change. But to succeed in the modern business environment, a critically important component is for businesses to develop their Organisational Change Management agility and enable change to occur in an organic, cautious, and structured process.
When your organisation commences projects or initiatives to improve business performance, creates new opportunities or responds to key internal / external issues, these objectives often require some elements of Organisational Change Management – changes to strategy, policies, procedures, processes, business relationships, role functions, organisational structures, and IT systems.
The perception of Change Management in business is that it only refers to “big-picture” changes to internal business elements, such as culture, systems, and the structure of the organisation – interpreting that change is a ‘top-down’ challenge. Whilst effective change initiatives may be co-ordinated in a ‘top-down’ approach from the Executive Management Team to Senior Management, key stakeholders, and employees, this impact to your organisation’s future (think culture) won’t occur until individuals embrace change. It is the belief and commitment attained by individuals whilst recognising the direction for your organisational strategy and vision.
Why the importance of structured processes in Organisational Change?
Organisational Change Management is the process of planning, implementing, and monitoring changes in organisations but to ensure that changes are made in a controlled and co-ordinated manner. When change in an organisation will create disruption, confusion, or resistance amongst employees, then a structured Organisational Change Management (OCM) approach is needed.
However, organisational change may occur deliberately because it is required to evolve organically due to changes to its external environment. As a direct result, organisational change may take place gradually and as part of an overall process of evolution due to pre-determined business objectives and goals. Accordingly, the type of change describes how organisational change will occur but within designated timeframes and specific results that will be achieved through change.
How navigating obstacles to change can be overcome by effective Organisational Change Management?
The common obstacle to change looks different for every organisation, but similarly it also helps your teams face the challenges (including mindset) when navigating change initiatives. These obstacles may include the following:
- Lack of strategic vision and engagement from Executive Management Team.
- Resistance from employees to commit or belief in change.
- Lack of team engagement and participation.
- Miscommunication from “top-down” and then across the organisation.
- Not planning and scheduling enough time for training (and continual learning).
- Unrealistic timelines and milestone dates.
The current state of any business should always be in question, and which is why organisational change is known as a recurring operation. When an organisation seeks to operate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner, then there is always potential for a company to improve its operations!
But, as an organisation dives into the process for accelerating change, only a structured approach to Organisational Change Management (OCM) can help overcome the following obstacles:
Change does not start with one (1) Executive who has a strategic vision, AGILE, and purpose.
- You must implement consistent and transparent managerial processes across your entire Executive Management Team.
- Successful Executive Management Teams are AGILE in managing disruptive change and when the needs of the business changes course, they are more adaptable to shift organisational resources to ensure that the strategy is executed.
Change does not happen if one (1) person resents the initiative and then filters across the entire team.
- Your entire team and stakeholders need to be empowered with correct information that helps them to act and make robust decisions, without any hesitation.
- WHY? Well, this element of trust and commitment (from your Executive Management Team) can help you uncover potential “leaders” from within the unknown resource pool.
Change is inspired by belief, commitment, and ethical awareness, not just logic.
- What makes individuals unique is the freedom to determine how they’ll act – a process of questioning, discovering, and defending their values, principles, and purpose.
- Your employees want to know where they fit in your organisation’s goals and objectives, but also how those goals contribute to a bigger purpose (think strategy linked to vision).
Change happens when everyone feels respected, valued, and included as a singular team.
- You need to build a cultural environment that provides your entire team with training opportunities (and recurring training) for both personal and professional development.
- You need to set aside time and energy for training, to learn and question current processes but also contribute on top of your employees existing responsibilities.
6-Steps in the Organisational Change Management (OCM) Process
Organisations do not change, people do! No successful change at the organisational level occurs without simultaneous action at the individual level.
The secret to effectively managing change is to have a noticeably clear, concise, and consistent Change Management process. Change Management provides a structured framework and co-ordinated approach to support the individuals or employees to transition from the “current state” to your desired “future state” and to embed lasting change within an organisation. It is also the ingrained discipline that guides how organisations prepare, delegate, and support individual employees to adopt change successfully and to drive organisational goals success and outcomes.
The advantage for organisations is this minimises the adverse impacts that change can bring but whilst maximising the benefits to employees and its broader business goals. By having clearly identified steps in the change process but also being prepared to adjust your organisational strategies (and approach), then it is possible to embed Change Management into the DNA of your organisation.
The importance of an effective Organisational Change Management process is highlighted by the following six (6) steps:
Step 1: Clearly define the change and align to business goals.
- Yes, such an obvious insight! However, many organisations miss this logical and key step.
- Articulating the changes required is simply not good enough.
- You need to capture an in-depth analysis of the organisational objectives and goals to ensure that the change initiatives will drive a commitment to business growth – strategic, market, customers, revenue, financial, employees, and of course, ethics and culture.
Step 2: Determine the organisational impact of the change.
- Since you have identified the structure of your change approach – WHAT you want to achieve? WHY do you want to achieve it? – then, now is the time to determine the effect and application of your Change Readiness.
- You need to review the impact of your change initiative on EVERY business unit, departments, teams, individuals, and your overall organisation.
Step 3: Develop and communicate the change journey map.
- All employees in your organisation need to be taken on the journey map towards change.
- Your Communication Strategy must include – an outline of the timeline for HOW and WHEN the change initiative will be communicated, the key messages, regular change updates, and the communication medium that will be implemented.
Step 4: Implement your Training Plan.
- It is critically important that your employees know that the organisation will be helping them adapt to the change!
- Your Training Plan needs to provide training, mentoring, coaching, and consultative feedback sessions to your employees, so they can learn the appropriate skills (and knowledge transfer) that they require to operate efficiently, but following the implementation of the change initiative.
Step 5: Recognise the critical need of the change support structure.
- To help your employees adjust to your impending change initiative, both mentally and practically, you need to provide them with a solid support structure.
- This ideally would be several technical workshops and training programs to help your employees learn new skills and techniques.
- Ensure you communicate the additional counselling services to help your employees navigate the new transition to the change situation.
Step 6: Measure the change progress (and re-direction).
- The delivery of your change initiative needs a robust structure in place to both measure and report the impact of the change.
- Your Change Management Plan is your guide and evaluation tool that determines – HOW effective it is? WHAT needs to be changed? and WHO is responsible (and directly accountable) for actioning the change adjustments?
- By selecting and then implementing a proven Change Management methodology, this will increase your chances of project success.
Summary
No one likes to change and that is simply a fact.
Yes, change is necessary for growth, productivity, and profitability, but it is also challenging when introducing change into an organisation. Most employees avoid stepping outside of their current state, their self-imposed “comfort zone” and will always resist new ways of doing tasks. With diverse stakeholders, teams, internal agendas, and multiple power centres, implementing an organisational change can be logistically cumbersome. But when done poorly, it can have damaging effects on the entire organisation and its people.
Change Management is critical to the success of any organisation. A consistent Change Management Process will aid in minimising the negative impact of change on your organisation and employees. Having a Change Management Plan helps ensure identified changes happen in a co-ordinated and structured approach and that helps an organisation achieve its goals.
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