Change management is a systematic approach to managing organizational change. It is the process of identifying, implementing and managing the changes that need to take place in order to reach a desired outcome. The most important part of change management is to ensure that the changes are effective and sustainable.
The process of change management begins with identifying the current state of the organization and the desired future state. This involves assessing the current environment to identify potential problems and opportunities that need to be addressed. Once the current and future states are determined, the necessary steps to achieve the desired outcome are developed.
The next step is to plan and implement the change. This includes developing a strategy for the change and identifying the resources needed to support it. This includes defining roles and responsibilities, determining the timeline for the change, and determining the budget for the effort.
Once the plan is in place, it is important to track the progress of the change. This involves tracking the impact of the changes on the organization, such as the financial and operational impacts, as well as the impact on employee morale.
Finally, it is important to evaluate the success of the change. This includes assessing the effectiveness of the change, determining whether it has achieved the desired outcomes, and determining whether there are any areas that need to be improved. It is also important to review the process and identify any lessons learned from the change.
Change management is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. It is essential for organizations to have a clear understanding of the process and procedure of change management in order to ensure successful implementation of changes.
Image credit: Pexels
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
Change management is the process of managing an organization’s transition from one state to another. It involves identifying the need for change, identifying the key stakeholders, developing a plan for the transition, and executing that plan. Change is often necessary for an organization to remain competitive in today’s ever-changing environment, and the effective management of change is essential for success.
The three levels of change management are strategic, tactical, and operational.
1. Strategic change management involves setting objectives and developing a plan for achieving them. It involves considering the organization’s overall goals, resources, and capabilities and determining how best to use them to meet those objectives.
Strategic change management is the highest level of change management and should be used when an organization is looking to make significant changes to its structure or operations.
2. Tactical change management involves executing the strategy and making sure that it is successful. This includes monitoring results, assessing progress, and making changes as necessary.
Tactical change management should be used when an organization needs to implement a plan that has been developed at the strategic level.
3. Operational change management involves implementing the plan and ensuring that it is successful. This includes training employees, developing operational processes, and making sure that the plan is followed.
Operational change management should be used when an organization needs to ensure that its strategy is successfully implemented.
Change management is a complex process and requires the involvement of all stakeholders. The three levels of change management provide a framework for effectively managing change and ensuring that the organization is able to make the necessary changes to remain competitive.
Image credit: Pexels
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
Change Management (OCM) is the process of managing and implementing changes within an organization. It involves planning, analyzing, and implementing changes in order to maximize efficiency and minimize disruption. Change management is an important part of any organization’s growth, as it allows for the organization to stay up-to-date with the latest technology, trends, and customer demands.
The primary functions of change management are to identify the areas of an organization which need to be changed, plan how to best implement these changes, and then execute the plan. OCM also helps to ensure that all stakeholders are informed of any changes and are given the opportunity to provide input.
The first step in the change management process is to identify which areas need to be changed and why. This is usually done by conducting a thorough analysis of the current state of the organization and its processes. Once the areas needing improvement have been identified, it is important to develop a plan of action which outlines how the changes will be implemented. This plan should include a timeline, resources, and steps which must be completed in order to reach the desired outcome.
The second function of change management is to ensure that all stakeholders are informed of the changes and are given the opportunity to provide input. It is important to ensure that all stakeholders feel heard and that their opinions are taken into consideration when making changes. This will make the transition to the new process smoother and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
The third function of change management is to implement the changes. This involves ensuring that the necessary resources are available and that the plan is followed. It also involves monitoring and evaluating the progress of the changes to ensure that they are effective.
OCM is an important part of any organization’s success. By properly planning, analyzing, and implementing changes, organizations can ensure that they remain competitive and successful in the ever-changing business environment. It is important to remember that change management is not a one-time event, but rather a continuous process which must be monitored and evaluated in order to ensure that the changes are successful and beneficial for the organization.
Image credit: Unsplash
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
Change management is a critical part of any successful business. It involves the process of planning, implementing, and managing changes in an organization. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, it is essential for businesses to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive in the marketplace. Here are five reasons why change management is important:
1. Improved Processes
Change management can help businesses identify areas of improvement in their processes. It can help them plan and implement changes that will result in improved efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity.
2. Increased Employee Engagement
Change management can help businesses create an environment where employees feel engaged and motivated. By involving employees in the change process, businesses can ensure that the changes are implemented in a way that benefits everyone.
3. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Change management can help businesses ensure that customers’ needs and expectations are met. By planning and managing changes in a way that meets customer needs, businesses can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4. Reduced Risk
Change management helps businesses identify and mitigate risks associated with changes. It can help them plan for and manage changes in a way that reduces risks and ensures that the changes are effective.
5. Improved Communication
Change management helps businesses ensure that all stakeholders are properly informed and consulted when changes are implemented. This helps to ensure that everyone involved understands the changes and is in agreement with them.
Change management is an essential part of any successful business. It helps businesses plan, implement, and manage changes in a way that increases efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. By understanding why change management is important, businesses can ensure that they are able to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive in the marketplace.
Image credit: Pexels
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
Organizational change is a necessary part of the modern business world, and it can bring both positive and negative results. Organizations need to be aware of the potential impacts of change and be prepared to manage them appropriately in order to ensure a successful transition.
One of the key elements of successful organizational change is effective communication. Organizations must ensure that all employees understand the change and its implications. It is important to clearly communicate the goals and objectives of the change and provide employees with the necessary tools and resources to succeed. Leaders should also be prepared to answer questions and address any concerns that employees may have.
Another important factor to consider when implementing organizational change is the impact it may have on existing processes and procedures. It is important to evaluate current practices and assess their relevance in the new environment. It may also be necessary to make adjustments to existing systems to ensure they are aligned with the new goals and objectives.
In addition, organizations should understand the potential risks associated with organizational change. It is important to identify potential problems and develop strategies to mitigate them. Organizations should also consider the potential impact of change on employee morale and morale.
Finally, organizations should recognize that the process of change can be difficult and complex. It is important to provide adequate training and support to employees to ensure they are equipped to handle the new environment. It is also important to ensure that the change is managed in a way that maximizes its positive benefits for the organization.
Organizational change can be a difficult but necessary process. Organizations should ensure that they are prepared to manage the process effectively in order to maximize its positive impacts. By understanding the potential risks and benefits of change, organizations can ensure a successful transition.
Image credit: Pexels
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
The business world is showing an increasing interest in the people side of change, and there is a very real reason for this…
Companies are spending an increasing amount of their budget on technology and working to transform their operations to be more digital in order to provide a better experience for customers, employees, partners and suppliers while simultaneously creating a more efficient and effective business.
Everyone knows that a lot of technology projects fail to achieve their intended objectives, timings, and budgets. This fact and the increasing investment levels are causing more executives to look for ways to de-risk these technology investments in digitizing the business.
That’s why we’re seeing an uptick in the hiring and certification of change management professionals, which is great, but companies are still thinking about the relationship between project management and change management backwards.
In most cases change management is brought to bear as an afterthought, a bolt on to project management when the reverse should be true. Managing a change is a bigger endeavor than managing a project, and in fact you could say that because every project changes something, that every project is a change initiative.
It is thinking about managing projects in this way that I sat down to begin managing a new project several years ago and like many project managers, I found myself sitting at my computer by myself starting at an empty Microsoft Word template for a project charter knowing the uphill battle I’m going to face trying to route this document around via email and succeeding at both getting any responses at all and at getting meaningful input and a diversity of perspectives to make my project charter a really strong document that anyone will actually look at after week two of the project. I also found myself thinking that there has to be a better to plan and execute change initiatives and projects.
And sure people like pull ADKAR (a modified version of AIDA from the marketing world) and the ACMP Standard for Change Management (see the visualization I created above and download it for free here) and John Kotter’s change leadership approach, but they all fall short of making the planning and execution of change initiatives and projects a more visual and collaborative process, so I found myself starting to create new tools to help people (intended to link up with the PMBOK and ACMP Standard for Change Management).
These tools started to collect until they formed a comprehensive and new visual, collaborative approach to planning and executing change initiatives, and yes projects. This collection of tools became known as the Change Planning Toolkit™ and was first introduced in my latest book Charting Change which pairs nicely with my first book Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire. Both are designed to pack more insights into each chapter than most books contain in the entirety of their pages. Two of the most important frameworks introduced in the book are the Five Keys to Successful Change:
And the Architecting the Organization for Change framework:
Both frameworks are designed to help people challenge the way they think about organizational change. They are designed to help people think about more than change management and to think differently about how organizations are transformed and how change management and project management relate to each other.
To help people begin their participation in changing change I’ve made ten free tools available for download from the 50+ tools in the Change Planning Toolkit™, and people who buy a copy of Charting Change get access to 26 of the 50+ tools (including the Visual Project Charter™ and the Change Planning Canvas™). The book does a great job of helping to explain the philosophy behind the toolkit and how to get started with the tools, but people who purchase access to all 50+ tools (including tools to help people think through their Digital Transformation) also get a QuickStart Guide to explain each tool.
But if we are going to truly work together to change how change is planned and executed I thought it would make sense to give people a more in depth sneak preview into what’s inside the toolkit and so I’ve created the following Introduction to the Change Planning Toolkit™ webinar recording:
I encourage you to reflect upon your own experiences planning and executing both projects and change initiatives and what you’ve found lacking in the tools you call upon from ProSci, PMI, ACMP or others and then check out the book and the webinar and then let me know if there are any tools that you feel are still missing – and if it makes sense, I’ll create them!
My goal in creating all of these tools for you after all is to help you beat the 70% change failure rate, so let’s work together at changing change so our organizations are capable with more capably transforming themselves as the environment changes around them.
You can let me know if there are any change tools that you still need (or if you’d like me to come show you and your team personally how to use them) via the contact form.
Let’s change change together!
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
When it comes to business, many people would say it is outcomes that truly matter, especially investors on wall street. Investors don’t care what kind of software you’re running or what your stack looks like, or how you do what you do, as long as you deliver the financial outcomes they are looking for in order to earn a return on their investment.
Doctors also focus on outcomes and insurance companies are becoming obsessed with them, forcing doctors and customers into Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). In healthcare, the outcomes obsession is called Outcomes-Based Management or Outcomes-Based Healthcare. In education, the outcomes obsession has led to an obsession with standardized testing and a practice called Outcomes-Based Education (OBE).
And in the innovation space, Tony Ulwick and Strategyn created Outcomes-Driven Innovation (ODI). In the innovation space this approach can be very beneficial as it helps companies move away from asking questions like “What can this technology do?” to questions that create better outcomes and more value, questions like “What is the customer trying to do?” or “What is the job to be done (JTBD)?”
Whether it is healthcare, education, business, or innovation, a focus on outcomes can be very helpful, but in these contexts we are looking at managing to a certain set of outcomes, or improving a certain set of outcomes, at a fixed point in time.
In the area of organizational change however, the focus often is not on outcomes, but on behaviors. Far too much of the literature and practice focuses on behavior change, which could also be described as “what people do.” And this focus on behaviors instead of aligning thoughts, feelings, behaviors and outcomes is part of why up to 70% of change efforts fail.
Too many people are jumping in head first and not approaching organizational change holistically, having the tough conversations around not only around how behaviors (doing) need to change but also how the how the outcomes need to change, along with how people’s thoughts and feelings need to change.
And when it comes to organizational change, we are not trying to achieve a certain set of outcomes or optimize a certain set of outcomes, but instead to ascertain what the relevant outcomes are in the current state and what we want them to become in the future state.
To help change leaders work though these incredibly necessary conversations and to help change managers achieve alignment within the organization around how all four components need to change (outcomes, thinking, feeling, doing) as part of a planned and coordinated effort, I have created the Outcome-Driven Change (ODC) Framework and worksheet to add to the Change Planning Toolkit™ v7 for existing subscribers and new subscribers alike.
Thinking, feeling, doing…
People have been linking these terms together since at least 1895 when E.W. Scripture released an interesting book titled Thinking, Feeling, Doing on how scientists conduct research affecting these three parts of our humanity. Many people have added to the conversation since then speaking about how we are of three minds (Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions below), which are the:
1. Cognitive
Of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)
2. Affective
Relating to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions
3. Conative
An inclination (such as an instinct, a drive, a wish, or a craving) to act purposefully
Not coincidentally, these match up with the three domains of learning, defined as early as 1956 by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom.
Others like to ascribe these three elements of humanity into Mind, Body, and Soul.
The key thing to remember from all of this discussion is that we are speaking about three very distinct things:
Thinking
Feeling
Doing
IT IS possible, and happens with surprising frequency, that all three are not in agreement when you are dealing with human beings. Which the obvious truth of course is that in any change effort, or project for that matter, you are. People are fully capable of thinking one thing, feeling another, and end up doing something totally incongruent with either OR both whatever they are thinking and feeling. Confused yet?
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once famously said:
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
This is one reason why change of any kind, organizational or personal, is so hard. Because, in order to be successful you must achieve alignment between all three elements of human reaction to the change in order to achieve the outcomes you seek.
Hopefully I’ve captured all of this in this single image of the Outcome-Driven Change Framework and this single quote from it:
“When what people do aligns with what they think and feel, then and only then, will you achieve the outcomes you’re looking for.”
In the Change Planning Toolkit™ v7 paying subscribers will find 11″x17″versions of this framework and the Outcome-Driven Change™ Worksheet to help your change planning team guide the conversations with change leaders that will help you surface the outcomes you’re currently achieving and what people in the organization are thinking, feeling, and doing to create the current outcomes and what members of the organization will need to think, feel, and do in order to achieve the new set of outcomes that you determine are necessary for the change to be successful.
This is just a taste of the kinds of frameworks, worksheets, and other tools you will find in the Change Planning Toolkit™ that I introduced in my latest book Charting Change along with a lot of great case studies and other next practices shared by some of the leading minds in the areas of organizational change and innovation.
So what are you waiting for?
Get started using the Outcome-Driven Change Framework to spark dialogue among your change planning and leadership teams
Download the 10 free tools from the Change Planning Toolkit™
Grab your copy of Charting Change and get access to even more tools for free from the Change Planning Toolkit™ (including the Change Planning Canvas™)
And then when you’re ready, get a license to all the rest of the 50+ frameworks, worksheets and other tools, and beat the 70% change failure rate!
Still have questions about how the Change Planning Toolkit™ can help your organization get better at change?
Want to achieve faster and more effective change on a grand scale?
I am super excited to announce that you can now can get a Commercial License directly on this web site or through a certified Change Planning Toolkit™ practitioner to increase the success of the projects or change initiatives inside your company or to make money doing so for your clients. There are two simple options:
Either option is a bargain considering the prices of other tools, training and reports:
$150/year per person – Cost of Skillsoft business skills courses
$279/year per person – Cost of MarketingProfs subscription
$350-400 per download per person – ProSci downloads
$400-1,000 per hour – What top consultants charge for an hour of advice
$975/year per person – Cost of Being First change leadership tools
~$20,000/year per person – Forrester license cost
$20-30,000/year per person – Gartner license cost
So either Change Planning Toolkit™ commercial licensing option is a lower cost investment for a complete toolkit of more powerful tools for planning and executing projects, change initiatives, and digital transformations, than any of the above alternatives.
For large companies like IBM, Accenture, Amazon, GE, Wells Fargo, Cognizant, HP Enterprise, Convergys, Oracle, or Microsoft, a free* site license represents a savings of up to $830,000 on tools with a value of nearly $500 million for a nominal investment in one day of training.
To maximize the availability and benefits, a commercial site license is designed to provide access to ALL of your employees, or you can purchase a regular commercial license for one or more named users.
* The site license is free for the first year. After 365 days it can be renewed for a very affordable $2/employee per year. Each employee gets access to tools that other companies might charge up to $20,000 for a single user to access.
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
According to multiple sources, including McKinsey, 70% of change efforts fail. The reason many change efforts fail is that they often lack a clear plan.
So, what’s a company struggling to keep up with the accelerating pace of change to do?
Why not revolutionize your ability to change faster than the competition using the Change Planning Toolkit™?
The Change Planning Toolkit™ allows you to:
Quickly visualize, plan and execute on your change initiative (from simple projects to complicated mergers or acquisitions)
Deliver projects and change efforts on time
Accelerate implementation and adoption
Get a lot of valuable tools for a much lower cost than lesser offerings
I believe so much in the power of the Change Planning Toolkit™ that I am willing to offer a free* site license to the next three (3) firms to purchase a Change Planning Toolkit™ training session (which includes train-the-trainer).
For large companies like IBM, Accenture, Amazon, GE, Wells Fargo, Cognizant, HP Enterprise, Convergys, Oracle, or Microsoft, a free* site license represents a savings of up to $830,000 on tools with a value of nearly $500 million for a nominal investment in one day of training.
The Change Planning Toolkit™ will help you increase:
Alignment
Collaboration
Engagement
Buy-In
Visibility
Transparency
Agility
Speed
Adoption
While decreasing:
Project Risk
Failure
Cost Overruns
Late Deliveries
Surprises
Confusion
Resistance
In-Fighting
Staff Turnover
In addition, consulting firms will be able to increase their revenue and customer lifetime values using the Change Planning Toolkit™ and earn extra revenue as a reseller.
Meanwhile, after the training, the QuickStart Guide and my book Charting Change (which training participants will receive**) will keep you (and your clients) on track and reinforce your learning.
* The site license is free for the first year. After 365 days it can be renewed for a very affordable $2/employee per year. Each employee gets access to tools that other companies might charge up to $20,000 for a single user to access.
** Depending on the country, book will be provided in either hardcover or digital form to training participants, but not both
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Chad McAllister of The Everyday Innovator Podcast, about my work as a popular keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and thought leader on the topics of continuous innovation and change, and some of my work with clients to create innovative strategies, digital transformations, and increased organizational agility.
But mostly in this information-packed interview, I reveal key lessons from the Change Planning Toolkit™ and my book Charting Change, including what’s hard about change, and how the visual, collaborative approach of the Change Planning Toolkit™ can revolutionize how we plan our projects and change initiatives.
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
According to multiple sources, including McKinsey, 70% of change efforts fail. The reason many change efforts fail is that they often lack a clear plan.
