What are the most common mistakes made in change management?

The most common mistake is not having a change management plan. This is when an organization focuses on the "change" but not the "change management". Even if your organization is new to change, start with even a basic starter framework to create the change story for employees: what is the change, why is it happening, how will it benefit the organization and each individual, and how will the organization train to fill in the capability gaps.

Entre lo errores más comunes que identifico a partir de mi experiencia, tiene que ver con: 1. Subestimar el esfuerzo que conlleva la gestión del cambio. 2.Identificar y capitalizar correctamente la resistencia al cambio. Es más fácil trabajar la resistencia, escuchando, entendiendo a la otra parte que es lo que está viviendo, si es falta de conocimiento, si está faltando algo en el plan de implementación, o que lecciones aprendidas hay de experiencias pasadas que no se considerando en esta ocasión. La resistencia no es el problema, la indiferencia si. 3.No contar con un equipo de RH preparado para gestionar el cambio, entendiendo su rol, y contar con las habilidades, conocimientos y metodologías para poder llevarlo a cabo.

One of the most common mistakes made in change management is indeed the lack of a clear vision. Without a clearly defined vision and detailed plan for change, employees may struggle to understand the purpose and direction of the change, leading to confusion and resistance. It is essential for organizations to articulate the reasons behind the change, the intended outcomes, and the steps needed to achieve those outcomes to ensure successful change implementation and adoption. Communication plays a crucial role in addressing this mistake, as open and transparent communication helps to align employees with the vision and gain their support throughout the change process.

A clear vision is needed at 1) the organizational, 2) team and 3) individual level. All 3 are needed and need to be compelling. The organizational vision can guide where we're trying to go long-term, the team level can guide how we fit together towards the vision and the individual level is motivating for taking the individual action needed overtime to bring the bigger goals to life.

A clear vision is the north star in any change initiative. Without a clear "why" connecting the teams to the bigger picture, they often get lost in the weeds or lose motivation all together. It can be the best solution or new process ever designed, but without a clear answer to "why are we even doing this?" resistance and disengagement can set in. Once this has set in, it is like swimming upstream the rest of the way.

For me there are two critical things for the change comms strategy. Firstly it has to continually remind the impacted change community of the WIIFM - What's In It For Me? Sustainable change adoption needs people to overcome the barriers to change and for this they need to see the upsides. The WIIFM brings the benefits and current levels of dissatisfaction into a really sharp focus. Secondly is frequency and regularity of two way comms. It's so important to keep the change dialogue alive. If there's nothing new to say you can still reframe and recommunicate things from before, especially the WIIFM. Give the change community something to look forward to. If you get it right they will be eagerly anticipating the next scheduled communication

Effective change management requires open, transparent, and consistent communication to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the change process. When communication is lacking, employees may feel disconnected from the change, leading to confusion, anxiety, and resistance. Clear and frequent communication about the reasons for change, the expected impact, the timeline, and the support available for employees is essential for successful change management. Additionally, creating channels for two-way communication, such as feedback mechanisms and open forums, can help address this issue and ensure that the concerns and perspectives of employees are heard and addressed.

Based on my research findings, another prevalent oversight in change management involves insufficient communication. It appears that neglecting to communicate adequately can significantly impede acceptance and success of the current change. Communication serves as the bedrock for fostering trust, engagement, and commitment among stakeholders. Regrettably, many managers and leaders fall short by either undercommunicating, providing information belatedly, or delivering messages in a one-sided manner. This approach often leaves employees feeling uninformed, anxious, or distrustful regarding the impending changes. Therefore, my research strongly suggests that maintaining transparent communication with your team and stakeholders is paramount.

Das Schweigen im Wandel: warum verstummen die meisten Change Projekte? Viele Führungskr?fte kommunizieren zu wenig, zu sp?t oder nur halbherzig. Ergebnis? Teams tappen im Dunkeln, voller Misstrauen gegenüber dem Neuen (und Unausgesprochenen). Leadership bedeutet, klar, offen und proaktiv zu kommunizieren. Wer hier spart, zahlt drauf – mit Widerstand, Entt?uschung bis hin zu Sabotage aus den eigenen Reihen. Hast du auch schon Erfahrungen mit schlechter, ungenügender oder lieblosen Kommunikation gemacht? #ChangeManagement #Kommunikation #LasstUnsReden

Change management, a critical aspect of organizational evolution, often encounters common pitfalls. One frequent misstep is inadequate communication, leading to confusion and resistance among employees. Another is the failure to involve key stakeholders early in the process, resulting in lack of buy-in. Additionally, insufficient training and support can hinder successful implementation. Effective change management requires clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and comprehensive support structures to navigate these challenges and ensure successful transitions.

Stakeholder engagement is at the core of the change journey. Everyone talks about stakeholder participation, and everyone considers it a key challenge. Knowing the persona of the beneficiaries and their qualitative world, as well as prioritizing the beneficiaries and trying to get them to participate, is vital. Grading stakeholders and distributing the energy of the change team according to the stakeholders' priorities are key steps that should be taken with effort. The story is about sharpening the axe to continue the path. Tailoring engagement methods is a key success lever and goes beyond classic textbook techniques. The change team should have an expert in organizational behaviour psychology by its side.

One of the top things I have seen in navigating change in any situation (work or otherwise) is not getting the right people involved from the beginning. Managing and engaging stakeholders is one of the most important first steps. Not including them is a great way to lose support, or even worse, to fuel their resistance to the change. If they are affected by or can affect the change--they need to be involved.

If the people who do the work are not involved in creating a future state for it, you are in trouble. Sure, you can't involve everyone, but you need to have the people doing the work provide their perspective and stop bad processes in their tracks. But let's go beyond improvement in the conference room. Bringing the improvement concept to the area the work is done is the best way to shop around the concepts and gather feedback. Additionally, what is shopped around must look like a work in process. Anything resembling a final product doesn't trigger people to put their fingerprints on it as much as the back of a napkin will. "We can't involve everyone." - Sure you can...Walk around.

Stakeholders need to be involved throughout the change, not just when the plan says so. Understanding how their perceptions, needs and expectations are changing is also crucial throughout the change, not just at the beginning. The biggest mistake I’ve seen repeatedly is when something shifts after launch - as it always inevitably does. When it’s full steam ahead, lift your head once in a while and look around to make sure a supporter hasn’t turned into a detractor, and to keep an eye on fluctuating levels of interest.

Empathy without judgement and with putting goals aside is needed to understand stakeholders before the journey begins and to truly hear feedback as the change journey continues. Stakeholders often disengage when they do not feel understood (their perspective or their competing priorities). Listening and being agile in how to engage that balances their other priorities has enabled strong engagement in my experience across change initiatives.

People often fear what they don't know. Now, if we have done all the steps right before this one (clear vision, involved people in the change, etc.), that's great. But we must still train / support them in the new way. The old way may be the worst process ever imagined, but we're still good at doing it, know the work arounds, etc. So even if the new way is half the work, the team often resists simply because they are not comfortable with the new way.

When employees are not provided with the necessary training and support to adapt to changes effectively, they may struggle to understand new processes, tools, or systems. This can lead to frustration, decreased productivity, and even resistance to change. To address this issue, organizations should invest in comprehensive training programs that equip employees with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the changes successfully. Providing ongoing support, such as coaching, mentoring, and access to resources, is also crucial to help employees overcome challenges and build confidence in the new way of working. By prioritizing training and support, organizations can empower their employees to embrace change and contribute to the success.

Es clave identificar los impactos en los cargos, sus roles y funciones y cuáles son las brechas tanto técnicas como adaptativas, en muchas ocasiones solo se abordan las técnicas y me ha tocado liderar varios cambios que implican generar capacidades adaptativas que hacen posible y exitoso los cambios

La capacitación es indispensable, no solo para el grupo de colaboradores impactado sino también para el equipo de RH. Asimismo, la capacitación no se trata solo de brindar un taller, un manual, o enviar un comunicado. Para que sea efectiva tiene que tener las bases de la pedagogía de los adultos. Aprendemos no por solo escuchar, sino también al experimentar, y en diferentes formatos. Resulta sumamente efectivo crear comunidades de aprendizaje, identificar un embajador que haya vivido el cambio y tenga facilidad para acompa?ar a otros a transitar ese mismo camino. El reconocimiento de aquellos que están modelando el cambio resulta una estrategia de reforzamiento positiva que consolida los nuevos comportamientos que se buscan.

Frequently, the actions of a change management project, in the best of cases, are linked to the business vision & strategy, but they are rarely quantified as to the expected effect and the final result obtained from each action. The lack of "cause-effect" relationships and the absence of measurement turn it into a cluster of measures without synchronization or weighting of the impact on the strategy. It is important to define actions in the short (organizational, human & information capital), medium (operational) & long term (innovation) and their impact on internal and external clients & shareholders. It is necessary in a constant PDCA to define which measures are contributing to the change management and which of them should be replaced.

My research suggests that one of the most common mistakes in change management is the lack of measurement or feedback mechanisms. Failure to assess the progress and impact of change initiatives can hinder their success. Leaders often overlook this crucial step, neglecting to define clear indicators or collect relevant data. Consequently, they miss valuable insights for course correction and improvement. To mitigate this error, it is imperative to establish robust measurement frameworks, regularly collect and analyze data, and act upon feedback to drive meaningful change.

Without clear metrics and feedback loops in place, it becomes challenging to assess the progress of the change initiative and understand its impact on the organization. By implementing measurement and feedback mechanisms, organizations can track the effectiveness of the change, identify areas that require adjustment, and acknowledge successful milestones. Additionally, feedback mechanisms allow employees to express their concerns, suggestions, and reactions to the change, enabling leaders to address potential issues and adapt strategies accordingly. To address this mistake, organizations should establish key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with the goals of the change, implement regular feedback surveys or open forums.

Implementar procesos de cambio que incorporen métodos ágiles es una tendencia y desde ahí la importancia de medir y evaluar y ajustar para ir generando los impactos que el cambio necesita en cada fase del proceso.

Coaching project leaders to seek out, engage, and understand resistance is important. Resistors will tell you if the push-back is emotional ("we've tried this before"; "people won't like it" etc.) or rational ("when will we get the training we need?"; "how will we be measured going forward?"; "this project conflicts with another project"). Have respectful conversations with the emotional resistors and most will eventually agree to have an open mind, and give the rational resistors detailed answers to their questions.

For change to succeed, the right sponsor is crucial and must remain visible, not just at the beginning but throughout the change. Common mistakes I’ve seen include selecting an inappropriate sponsor where the scale of change exceeds their credibility or influence, and the "hit and run" sponsor who vanishes after the initial launch, only to reappear at the end. Effective sponsorship involves continuous engagement and support to mitigate the risks and ensure a change initiative's success.

It is almost always the human side of change that causes failure. Engage with people from the outset and know who your advocates and adversaries are. Plan for failure and mitigate the risks at every stage of the change cycle.

1. Forgetting about fear. Often times what appears to be a resistance to change is the plain and simple fear of losing ones position or standing, and/or becoming irrelevant. The antidotes: a. if that's just a perception, communicate profusely with the person and show them they are important and b. if that's really the case, training and development so that the person can acuire the skills that are needed. 2. Forgetting that people don't resist change - they resist being changed (as Peter Senge points out). The antidote: include them as much as possible in decision-making.

The #1 success factor in change is active and visible executive sponsorship. Many projects do not have the right sponsorship in place and that creates a great deal of friction in delivering change and many times stops it from happening completely.