How can you manage change when your organization lacks resources or support?

Successful change relies more on people than just resources. Support is crucial, so if it's lacking, it's essential to question why and from whom. Ensuring the backing of key stakeholders is vital for success. Maintaining a clear goal in mind and effective communication are key factors.

The key question here is: "What are the expectations and concerns of the key stakeholders?" If they lack resources or are unwilling to invest to bring about their vision, then run a mile. You are set up for failure.

Check the organisation’s readiness for change by investigating what change projects or initiatives have been delivered previously. Track down the people who were the recipients of that change and ask them to participate in a survey about change readiness. The Prosci Organisational Change Readiness questionnaire is a great place to start if you’re not sure what questions to ask. Use a Microsoft Form to gather the data. Aim to survey 15-20 people. The results will provide critical insight into how you set up the business for your next change. They’ll also provide a great evidence-based discussion with your change leaders so you and they are clear about where you are coming from with change and where you want to head. #sevenpmconsulting

I was trained by DSM in Change and Project management and I still have the DSM one pager : 5 golden behaviors. No1, Think before you run: Understand what you are starting via a Front End Loading workshop. Learn from previous projects. Set ambitious but realistic targets. Verify the needs of key stakeholders, the WHY. Identify more effective alternatives to reach your goal. Ensure you have the resources required to make your project a success.

En cualquier relevamiento inicial hay que entender cuáles son los recursos disponibles de la organización. Por ejemplo: ?Técnicos: ?Cuáles herramientas y metodologías que soportan las comunicaciones y el desarrollo de capacidad tiene la organización? ?Están disponibles? ?Humanos: ?Hay responsables de la gestión de cambio, comunicación, capacitación o sostenimiento de la cultura? ?Están disponibles para el proyecto? ?Cuál es el alcance de ese rol? ?Culturales: ?Hay cultura de cambio? ?Cual es el historial de cambios de la organización? ?Cómo lo perciben las personas? ?Cultura digital? ?Gobernance: ?El Gobernance tiene incluído stakeholder que apoyan la gestión de cambio (rrhh, comunicación)? ?Como es el engagement de sponsors hoy?

In change management, effective communication is the guiding light, akin to narrating a compelling story that aligns everyone with the organizational vision. By clearly articulating the change's purpose, benefits, and alignment with strategy, it creates a collective sense of urgency and commitment. It's not just a monologue; it's a dialogue, listening to feedback and addressing concerns, transforming communication into a powerful tool for fostering shared ownership of the change.

Ohne offene und ehrliche Kommunikation auch keine Ver?nderung. n Ver?nderungsprozessen sollten Sie vier verschiedene Zielsetzungen in der Kommunikation verfolgen. In der ersten Phase geht es darum Menschen für das Thema, also die agile Reise, zu begeistern, ein WOW zu erhalten und Akzeptanz zu schaffen. In der zweiten Phase geht es um das Mobilisieren, das Aufzeigen von Dingen, die schon gut laufen. In der dritten Phase st?rken Sie die Motivation über die lange Dauer der Ver?nderung und zeigen Fortschritte auf. In der vierten Phase verankern Sie die Ver?nderung nachhaltig. Egal in welcher Phase Sie gerade stecken, empfehle ich immer eine Change Story. Das ist ein Framework, um die Ver?nderung greifbar und verst?ndlich zu machen.

I absolutely love this. Communicating the vision is vital. Articulate the 'why' behind the change with clarity and conviction to every layer of the organization. Show how it ties to strategic goals and values. Welcome feedback, tackle doubts head-on, and transform skepticism into commitment. Make the vision a shared mission. -N

Don't forget that communication is a 2 way street. Otherwise is just you shouting in your corner. Share what the reason for the change is, what the change will look like when it's done and how you can support them in navigating the process.

What you communicate on the change must connect into your organisation's core purpose and be relatable at every level of the organisation. If it does not connect with the work people are delivering, then it cannot be easily related to others from outside of the organisation who may not have the same context.

Leaders must be able to assess the impact of change and employ a mix of leadership styles to guide their teams through it. For instance, a transformational leadership approach can inspire and motivate employees towards a new vision, while a situational leadership style can provide support and direction as needed. Communication is key in all phases of change management—leaders must be transparent, listen to concerns, and be willing to adjust their strategies based on feedback. Emotional intelligence also plays a significant role, as leaders need to understand and manage their own emotions as well as those of their team members to maintain morale and productivity during transitions.

Managing change in resource-constrained environments has been a profound challenge, requiring an adaptive leadership style. Reflecting on such situations, I've learned the importance of being resourceful and innovative. It's about shifting from a directive approach to a more collaborative and empowering one. I focus on harnessing the collective strengths and creativity of the team, encouraging everyone to contribute ideas for efficient resource utilization. This adaptive style also means being more hands-on when necessary while also knowing when to step back and let the team take the lead. By being flexible in my approach and open to unconventional solutions, I've guided teams through change effectively.

Combining different leadership styles in change management: ? enhances adaptability, ?engages a broader range of stakeholders, ?allows customization, ?promotes balanced decision-making, ?fosters change resilience, ?and contributes to leadership development. This approach optimizes change success by matching leadership style to specific organizational needs and challenges

Embracing a leadership style that is flexible and adaptive is very much required to effectively steer the change. Depending on the nature of the change, leaders must choose between directive, participative and supportive leadership style. It is also important to acknowledge and address challenges promptly and as appropriate, demonstrating resilience and a willingness to adjust strategies based on the evolving circumstances goes a long way in effective change management roll-out.

A directive style suits simple changes, providing clear guidance. For complex changes, a participative style involving stakeholders enhances decision-making. In stressful situations, a supportive style offering guidance and encouragement proves effective. By aligning your leadership approach with the complexity, uncertainty, and resistance of the change, you can better meet the needs and preferences of both individuals and the situation at hand.

Ver?nderung kann nie mit einer Person allein funktionieren. Es braucht Ver?nderungsheldinnen und -helden, Menschen, die voranschreiten, mutig ausprobieren und offen kommunizieren. Und diese Personen gilt es zu identifizieren und zu f?rdern. Denn sie werden weitere Menschen mit der Ver?nderung berühren und begeistern.

Where there is a lack of resources, there is often an abundance of potential ideas and energy to create momentum, planning and strategies to either assess what you can do now or what you can do later when you have made a case for more resources.

Not all change initiatives have same action items or path to follow. You can leverage the existing resources up to some extend however keep in mind as change leader that lack of resources would bring frustration among your change team. Do a thorough "what if" analysis to run some scenarios what could go wrong. If it is too risky then just go for a gradual change based on available resources. As a change leader, keep a fine balance as gradual change also brings anxiety and frustration among employees. They want to reach re-freezing (end state) in a limited timeframe.

Sometimes, less can be more. Instead of seeking external support, consider focusing on maximizing the potential of existing resources and talent within your organization. Emphasize innovation and efficiency to make the most of what you have, fostering a culture of self-reliance and ingenuity during change.

This is a very real problem faced by many. Consultants are a good solution to plug gaps in expertise and resources. However, this doesn’t absolve your responsibility for the change - leaders and their management teams will still need to make time for the change, or it will take time from them later. It’s also a good idea to integrate consultancy resources with your existing teams so that transfer of knowledge can happen. This will reduce your reliance on consultants in the future and build and strengthen your internal change capability.

Managing the transition during change includes training, feedback, and monitoring, but don't forget about the emotional and psychological aspects of change. It's crucial to recognize and support employees' emotional well-being, addressing concerns, and fostering psychological safety to ensure a smooth and successful change process.

Change is a journey, not a sprint. I am a huge fan of continuous process and improvement. Steer the transition with care—equip your team with the right skills through training, keep morale high with feedback and recognition, and measure progress meticulously. Be prepared to adjust the sails as you navigate the seas of change. Ensure the change sticks by managing each step of the transition with deliberate action and foresight. Hope this helps -N

In addition, remember that change is the only constant. Hence building a culture of continuous improvement and encouraging feedback and learning from every phase of the change process creates a resilient and adaptive change management culture.

Firstly, understand what success looks like to your sponsor. Based on this, be transparent about dependencies, and what risks might present if the dependencies aren't able to be met. It's imperative that your sponsor / leaders know what's on the line from the get-go (especially re: lack of resources) so there aren't surprises down the line. if it's a simple change, this may be an easy discussion. Though, the bigger, more complex the change, the more risks will need to be mitigated OR accepted and owned by a sponsor. And if they're clear on what's on the line, there might be allocations made for further resourcing, or change scaled back to more manageable, incremental chunks. I say, transparency vs. complicity all the way.

Even with limited resources you can be focused on where you spend your time. Make sure energies are going in the right places by being clear on outcomes. Change is based so much on relationships so invest in them before the change happens. We try and change before we align the organisation and that makes it so much harder.

Navigating change with limited resources requires strategic resource maximization. Kotter's second principle advocates forming a voluntary guiding coalition, an innovative force of influencers capable of shaping broad acceptance of change. This principle, validated by global influencers, becomes a linchpin for fostering desired trends within resource-constrained institutions. It serves as an innovation catalyst, steering transformative narratives and emphasizing that success hinges on astute resource utilization rather than sheer quantity.

When you lack change or project resources, you can complement the core project team by creating cross functional working groups representing different parts of the business. These are like internal communities that will build momentum for the change. The people in these groups will do the project work on top of their day jobs and/or adjust their day jobs to incorporate aspects of the change. I’ve seen this build significant momentum for change. If the people are carefully selected, they will feel even more special and motivated. I write more about this, and #openstrategy in my newsletter blog.

If you can’t do it alone, find some friends. Look out for synergies: Who else is interested in similar changes, in your organisation or your partner ecosystem? Are there economies of scale to exploit if other parties can be convinced to participate? What win-win scenarios can be found? Who else would get value from such a change, and how can they be engaged to cooperate?