September 1, 2022
Getting the Most Value from the Change
Our previous blog introduced the Prosci® framework and discussed the benefits of Organizational Change Management (OCM). This blog guides you through the second step in the Prosci® framework 3-Phase process, “manage change.” Your organization’s ability to realize benefits from implementing a change depends on how quickly your employees adopt the change, how many of your employees are using the new solution, and how effectively your employees are doing their jobs in a new way.
Effective sponsorship is the greatest contributor to your change initiative’s success. Per Prosci®’s research, projects with poor sponsorship are 29% effective, while projects with extremely effective sponsors are 73% effective in meeting or exceeding objectives. Your senior leaders represent the face and voice of the change to your front-line employee. They are the people employees want to hear from.
Critical Elements of Manage Change
Managing change involves two key elements: developing change management plans and taking action and implementing plans. The primary activities include:
- Create plans for communication, sponsorship, coaching, resistance management, and training
- Create a master change management plan
- Integrate the change management plan into the overall project plan
- Execute the plans
Developing the Change Management Plans
- Communication – the plan should identify the target audience, key messages, and timing. Determine the content packaging (be creative to get the news across), delivery method, frequency, and sender. As stated above, the more your senior team is involved, the more employees listen to the message. Finally, present the plan to the critical stakeholders to ensure they are supportive and approve.
- Sponsorship – develop a sponsor roadmap clarifying roles and responsibilities and listing the identifiable actions needed from the primary sponsor at each project phase to sponsor the change effectively. Since your sponsor should be a high-level executive, clearly defining the expectations and messaging will help ensure success.
- Coaching focuses on managers and supervisors, so they can support the change and communicate one-on-one with their team. If your managers are not on board, their attitude will impact your employees. Providing coaching through the change and the ability for them to voice their concerns will help them be change leaders.
- Resistance Management – provides the project team, sponsors, and coaches with a proactive plan and a set of tools for managing resistance through resistance prevention, proactive resistance management, and reactive resistance management. Resistance prevention applies structured processes and tools for leading the people side of change to achieve the desired outcome. Proactive resistance management includes the anticipation and early identification of likely resistance so that it can be planned for, addressed, or eliminated upfront. Reactive resistance management is a set of tactics used when resistance becomes enduring or persistent.
- Training – a critical tool for building knowledge and ability during change. The training plan consists of identifying the different audiences requiring training, conducting a needs assessment and gap analysis, and documenting the requirements for the training organization to develop and conduct the training.
Once the plans are developed, tracking progress through project execution and close-down is essential. If something is not working, be flexible and adapt.
Proactively Managing Change
Research by Prosci® on thousands of initiatives shows a direct correlation between how well the people side of change is managed (change management) and how successful the effort is. Projects with improved change management had an increased likelihood of meeting objectives, finishing on time, and finishing within budget. If your organization is struggling with change or embarking on change, Dewpoint is here to help you achieve success.
