Management
Tips
Tips
for Effective Change Management
Successful
change management requires thoughtful planning and sensitive
implementation, and above all, consultation with, and involvement
of, the people affected by the changes.
A
desire to see change implemented quickly can often lead
to insufficient consultation with those who will be most
affected by the change and staff issues can arise preventing
successful change from taking place.
The
following tips will help you to ensure that your change
initiatives achieve their objectives
Sustainable
change should be realistic, achievable and measurable. Before
starting organisational change, ask yourself the following
questions:
Don't
allow obstacles to block the vision and don't underestimate
the power of vision. But remember it will need to be regularly
and appropriately communicated.
Before
the change process can occur, there must be a 'felt need
for change" by key leaders in the organisation to stir the
organisation out of complacency. Ensure key managers are
with you on the change message and that they accept responsibility
for leading cultural change within their units and for maintaining
momentum for the change.
During
periods of change communication needs to function to a very
high standard. Consider the extent to which you are communicating
with the wider organisation?
Think
about how you can help people to understand how the change
will affect them personally. (If you don't help with this
process, people will make up their own stories, usually
more negative than the truth.) Treat people with humanity
and respect and they will reciprocate
Do
not sell change to people as a way of accelerating 'agreement'
and implementation. 'Selling' change to people is not a
sustainable strategy for success. Instead, change needs
to be understood and managed in a way that people can cope
effectively with it. Be mindful that the chief insecurity
of most staff is change itself. Senior managers and directors
responsible for managing organisational change do not, as
a rule, fear change - they generally thrive on it. So remember
that staff may not relish change, they may find it threatening
and fear a loss of status, influence or autonomy.
Encourage
feedback. Create forums where staff can ask questions and
discuss their concerns. It is better to have concerns out
in the open than festering away and building passive resistance.
Communicate
consistently, frequently, and through multiple channels,
including speaking, writing, video, training, focus groups,
bulletin boards, Intranets, and more about the change. Think
about the informal opportunities to communicate that arise
during the day and make use of them to share ideas and get
feedback.
Ensure
all sensitive aspects of organizational change management
are conducted face-to-face. Encourage your managers to communicate
face-to-face with their people too. Don't rely on email
and written notices, they are extremely weak at conveying
and developing understanding and are open to misinterpretation.
For
organisational change that entails new actions, objectives
and processes for a group or team of people, use workshops
to achieve understanding, involvement, plans, measurable
aims, actions and commitment.
Publicly
acknowledge when people make changes in behaviour and attitude
that leads to the success of the change initiative. Make
the connections between their behaviour and the changes.
Celebrate each small win publicly.
