Change Management - Best Practices, September 2008

As a supplement to their book Change Management, which was reviewed in the August issue, Hiatt and Creasy from the Change Management Learning Center added an appendix including tips for managing change derived from the Prosci survey. Below is a collection of these tips. Some are well-known, some are new, but compiling them together provides real added value for anyone seeking to manage change in their organization.

Key Success Supporters

Broadly and unsurprisingly, the highest contributor to change management success is strong leadership support (as a sponsor). Effective sponsors:

1. Demonstrate active support and visibility, both in personal meetings and at a professional level.

2. Ensure that the change remains a priority.

3. Demonstrate their commitment as change models.

4. Justify why the change needs to be implemented.

5. Communicate the change objectives.

6. Provide resources for activity success.

The Five Most Influential Factors for Success (in order from first to last):

1. Leadership support (as detailed above)

2. Buy-in from field managers and employees

3. An excellent change management team

4. Purposeful and continuous communication

5. An organized and planned approach to change management

Primary Obstacles to Change Management Success

The primary obstacles to change management success are (from first to last):

1. Employee resistance

2. Management resistance

3. Low management commitment

4. Limited time and budget resources

5. Organizational politics

What Would We Do Differently in the Next Change Management Process?

People who managed change and were asked this question indicated that the first factor they would change is ensuring sufficient support from the primary sponsor.

Responses Related to Specific Expectations from Sponsors:

• Clarify who is directly responsible

• Training senior management and additional executives about the sponsor's requirements

• Demonstrating the importance of change to more management members, not just those directly involved in the project

Additional Changes We Would Make in the Future:

1. Ensure management support

2. Start change management earlier in the project

3. Develop more employee communication around the employee's benefit (WIIFM - What's In It For Me)

4. Involve employees earlier in the project; get more feedback

5. Increase project resources

6. Design a change management team composed of committed high-performers, with full-time dedication to the project.

Employee Resistance

The primary reasons for employee resistance are (in order from first to last):

1. Lack of awareness

2. Comfort in the status quo and fear of the unknown

3. Organizational history (unsuccessful in managing changes) and supportive organizational culture

4. Resistance to new technologies, requirements, and processes that come with the change

5. Fear of job loss

Addressing Lack of Awareness

Survey participants noted that two types of messages should be communicated as part of the communication process: general information about the change and specific information about how the change will affect employees.

Important Messages Include:

• The overall situation and rationale for the change

• The organization's vision after the change

• Change fundamentals - what and when

• The expectation that the change will occur and is not optional

• Status updates regarding implementation progress, including success stories

• The change's impact on the employee at a daily level and personal benefit (WIIFM - What's In It For Me)

• The change's implications for security regarding tomorrow's existence

• Specific behaviors and activities expected from employees

• Procedures for obtaining assistance during the change

Management Resistance

The central reasons (from first to last) for management resistance to change are:

1. Loss of power and control

2. Current task overload, daily work pressure, and limited resources

3. Lack of skills and experience required for effective change management

4. Fear of job loss (for managers themselves)

5. Disagreement with the new approach

6. Skepticism about the need for change

Common Management Mistakes Include:

• Lack of visible support throughout the entire process

• Transferring responsibility to the change management team (as a substitute for personal support)

• Insufficient communication of the reasons causing the change and the future state

• Failing to build a coalition of business leaders supporting the process

• Moving to the next change before completing the current one

• Underestimating resistance and the need to manage change from a human perspective

• Failure to create expectations for middle managers and front-line managers regarding the change and the change process

• Investing too little time in the project and its progress to help the change management team

How Would the Change Management Team Improve Change Communication Next Time?

The primary changes the change management team would make in change communication aspects (from first to last):

• More frequent communication

• Starting communication at an earlier stage of the project

• More face-to-face communication

• More communication coming from management and senior managers

• More communication about the change's significance for employees and their benefits from it (WIIFM - What's In It For Me)

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