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Change
Management Overview Extract from Change Management Reference Guide developed for client Purpose of this Overview The purpose of this Overview is to give you an insight into the dynamics of change, a grasp of the complexity involved in making change happen and an understanding of what it takes to manage change successfully. However, on it's own, this overview will not provide you with the "How To" of change - that comes from experience and a certain degree of trial and error. Nevertheless, if you take time to consider the questions posed in this overview, and explore the recommended literature, you will be better positioned to thrive on change, calculate the risks involved accurately and minimise the errors. Have fun! Defining Change and assessing why Change is so prevalent in today's society. What is Change? You will find many definitions of Change in the literature recommended in Appendix B. For some, Change is the process of altering or amending current practices; for others Change is more dramatic, signifying a complete break with the past or an overall transformation. Of course, Change can be all of these things, and more. One thing we can be sure about; is that Change is a constant. The key question you must ask yourself as you read through this overview is not, how can I cope with the current change that I am leading or implementing; but, how can I become more resilient to the constant stream of changes that is all around me? Change Management is governed by the 3C's - Context, Content and Course of Action. There is nothing complex about this; indeed, one leading practitioner of change management has suggested that his job is little other than the application of common sense. Context What is happening now and what will be happening in the near future that may impact the course of change? Understanding the context of change will provide you with important insights into potential courses of action. An assessment of the context should include both internal and external factors. Content What needs to be done? A good rule of thumb is to estimate the magnitude of your programme and then double it! Change Management is a complex discipline only because it involves people. People bring an unpredictable dimension to any process and, in an organisational context; they must be considered a fluid component of the programme. The content of the programme is a list of everything that needs to be done. Course of Action How will the programme be structured? Who is in charge? What groups will be affected by the change? How do the components of the plan integrate? What is the timescale in which the programme needs to be completed? These types of question will drive the programme forward and also provide the structure for keeping the programme "on track". The Global Environment Change is an all encompassing, global, ongoing fact of life. Many observers argue that what makes these times so special is the rate at which change is taking place. However, this is not strictly true. There have been many periods of rapid change in history - from the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century right back to the invention of the wheel in stone age times. Surges in advancement are common, as change has only ever been limited by our capacity to think. The real difference today, is the scope of Change that is happening all around us. In every field of endeavour you can think of, there has been substantial change in the past fifty years. Just think of how much has happened and is continuing to happen in the fields of Health & Medicine, Physics, Astronomy, Technology, Communications, Education, Welfare, Life Expectancy, Global Politics, Military Techniques and Hardware, Industry, Space Exploration, Social Awareness, Housing, Law, Sport, Entertainment and Employment. The list is endless. Indeed, every aspect of our lives is subject to constant change - and it is set to continue. Napoleon Hill wrote, "What the mind can conceive and believe, one can achieve." To give you some indication of what is possible, it is estimated that we have used only 6% of our brain capacity to get where we are in the course of evolution! The second dimension of Change that impacts us today is its geographic diversity. Our lives are subject to changes that are initiated on the other side of the world. For example, in the financial markets, we have all heard the saying "When the USA sneezes, Europe catches a cold". Global interdependence is a fact of life, and thanks to communication technology, we are aware of everything that is happening as it happens. Change as a Journey To implement successful change, you need to know where you are going and how you are going to get there. If you don't know where you are going, any route will take you there! Identifying the ultimate destination is critical to the success of any change programme. Where do you want to take the organisation or even your team? Once you know the answer to this, the process of planning your journey is relatively straight "backward"! Planning Backward You have not read that incorrectly, the most effective way of creating a change plan is to work backwards from the vision of the future you have outlined. The future can be described as the "to be" organisation - the present as the "as is" organisation. The first step is to catalogue, very carefully, everything you know about the future organisation. What is new? How does everything work? Who is involved? When will the job be finished? Where will everything and everyone be located? You may not have all the answers at this stage, but, at the very least, you should be able to explain to other people "why" this destination is preferable to any other. Now that you have built the image of the future, you need to assess the current situation. Obviously, your "as is" assessment will contain far more detail than your "to be" picture, but take care to avoid complacency. It is the detail that you catalogue in this step that will save you time and avoid any costly omissions in your overall plan. Plotting the journey between the "as is" and the "to be" is what change management is all about. The first two steps were about understanding the context and the content of the change. The course of action can be likened to tracing a line backwards from the destination to the start-point. This line may contain a number of checkpoints to assess progress, review the plan and make adjustments where necessary. One thing is certain; the line will not be straight. Think of it as a journey through a maze. The best route through may not be the most direct. Many things will change as you move towards your destination; some of the assumptions you made will be tested and proven false, environmental changes will emerge to throw you off course, and key personnel will change bringing fresh complexity to the journey. Be Prepared The best assumption to make when preparing your plan is that anything could change. Your plan should contain a whole section on potential risks to the successful completion of the journey. Risk assessment is an ongoing activity. Your list should be reviewed every month to keep it up to date and meaningful. With your list of the potential risks in place, you should prepare your contingencies. Contingency planning is nothing more than being prepared for problems. If you were going to walk across the desert, you would not start-out without sufficient provisions or first aid equipment. The same is true of a change journey. What can you do to limit the impact of the risks you have identified? How can you tailor the Communication Plan and involve the groups that will be most concerned by the impact of your programme? What testing programme can you put in place to ensure that your new system or process works? What organisational changes can you make immediately to prepare for the new methods? Who can you appoint to be part of your change efforts to limit the risks of financial and technical failure? Succession Planning Never start out on any journey without a chief navigator. This person, or group, needs to be the custodian of the change plan and able to provide an objective assessment of progress to date. In addition, should you, or other leaders of the change programme, move on to another position before the current programme is complete, then you will have prepared a natural successor and limited the risk of disruption. Managing vs. Leading Change The differences between Leaders and Managers of Change. What do Leaders and Managers Do? The essential difference between Managers and Leaders of Change is embodied in the following quote from Warren Bennis: "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing!" The roles of the manager and the leader are quite distinct within the scope of a change programme: Manager Managers usually have an area of responsibility for which they need to conduct a number of activities: - Plan the scope and content of the project - Create budget estimates and monitor progress against that budget - Recruit, manage and develop staff to complete the project - Solve problems - Create order and build a level of confidence in the leaders of the programme that the project is under control Leader The role of a leader can take on multiple dimensions. Often they can be involved at a detailed level on one component of the Programme as well as providing leadership for the programme as a whole by: - Setting direction for the whole team to follow - Aligning the constituencies that will need to combine resources to deliver the end results - Motivating and inspiring the managers and the rest of the programme team to achieve results and meet interim objectives - Produce results. Ultimately, the Leader is responsible for the delivery of the programme's stated aims. Becoming a Leader Leadership is never given - it is something you either earn or acquire through the attainment of objectives and goals that are in the public domain. However, there are some characteristics of leaders that you can acquire which will enhance your ability to succeed in leadership roles when they arise: - Know yourself well and make more of that than you're currently making - Leading change requires discipline, substance, rigor and professionalism - Change your focus, from structuring tasks to shaping behaviour - Create a "pull" for and hence ownership of change - Reinvent yourself as you reinvent the part of the organization you are leading (live the "future state") - Remember that leadership is about serving the interests of other not yourself! Appendix ~ Change Library Foundation The following is a list of books that will expand your knowledge of Change Management. Please make additions to this list as you discover sources that will benefit your colleagues and help make them more resilient to Change. The 7 Levels of Change : The Guide to Innovation in the World's Largest Corporations ~ Rolf Smith The Age of Unreason ~ Charles Handy Beyond Certainty : The Changing Worlds of Organizations ~ Charles Handy Big Change ~ Paul Taffinder Blur: The Speed of Change in Connected Economy ~ Stan Davis, Christopher Meyer Change Activist: Make Big Things Happen Fast ~ Carmel McConnell The Change Navigator : Preparing a New Kind of Leader for an Uncharted Tomorrow (Quick Read Series) ~ Kurt Hanks Driving Change ~ J. Wind Essential Managers 12: Managing Change ~ Robert Heller How to Manage Organizational Change ~ D.E. Hussey Innovate or Evaporate : Test & Improve Your Organization's IQ : Its Innovation Quotient ~ James M. Higgins Leading Change ~ John P Cotter Managing at the Speed of Change ~ Daryl R. Conner Management Challenges for the 21st Century ~ Peter F. Drucker On Becoming A Leader ~ Warren Bennis The Project Manager as Change Agent ~ J. Rodney Turner, et al Reengineering the Corporation ~ Michael Hammer & James Champy Transforming Company Culture ~ David Drennan Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life ~ Spencer Johnson Back to Articles |
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