How can you evaluate change management consultants during a transition process?

Probe deeply into how they plan to develop capacity within the org, rather than create dependency on an external consultant. It's the only way to build sustainability, and will give you great insight into their skills and intent.

In defining expectations, it is critically important to identify if you are using change management consultants as CONSULTANTS/ADVISORS or as STAFF AUGMENTATION to your current team members. Consultants/advisors provide executive level guidance and can level up your team's knowledge, tools, and execution. We are there to impart knowledge and level up your tactics and tools. Using them as staff augmentation and having them execute low level tasks is a lesson in overpaying 3x for junior tasks to get done by outsiders while your team still learns nothing and is no better off when the consultants leave at the end the engagement.

> determine whether the consultant's methods align with the organization's values and work style by utilizing the Competing Values Framework (CVF) > check the consultant's change management methodology against established frameworks such as: a) Kotter's 8-Step Process for Leading Change b) ADKAR Model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) c) Prosci's 3-Phase Process (Preparing for change, Managing change, Reinforcing change) > in light of the current focus on digital transformation, examine a consultant's experience and methodologies related to digital transformation, such as MIT's Digital Business Transformation Framework or Gartner's Digital Business Technology Platform.

Para hacerlo efectivamente, consideremos varios criterios: Evaluar cómo sus estrategias y acciones se alinean con los objetivos. ?Están sus intervenciones impulsando los resultados deseados?. Observar su capacidad para el diálogo, manejar resistencias y fomentar la colaboración. La eficacia en la comunicación es un indicador clave de su competencia. Innovación y Adaptabilidad: Valorar su habilidad para adaptarse a situaciones imprevistas y proponer soluciones innovadoras. -Impacto y Resultados: Medir el impacto tangible de sus intervenciones. ?Hay mejoras en la productividad, moral del equipo o en indicadores clave? -Incorporar opiniones de diferentes stakeholders puede ofrecer insights valiosos sobre su efectividad.

Hard won lessons learned and proven experience by far tops credentials. Get them to share with you where they felt at their most challenged and call that client.

Creds are unreliable. Have a conversation with candidates. Consider all your bad experiences with change and pose those cases.

Les croyances ont la vie dure. Autodidacte sur ce sujet (pas tout à fait puisque j'ai été coachée en one to one pendant plus d'un an avec un expert), j'ai eu l'occasion de travailler avec des personnes qualifiées sur le papier mais absolument incompétentes sur le terrain. Le change management demande d'avoir la fibre et un cerveau bien connecté. Ce qui importe surtout c'est l'importance que donne le consultant à ce qu'il fait, ses capacités de négociation et de compréhension des problématiques terrain etc. Le dipl?me, c'est bien pour celui qui n'a aucune expérience mais de mon point de vue, conna?tre le nom d'une théorie, ?a peut impressionner en entretien mais ?a a ses limites si on ne sait pas les mettre en application...

Ask your consultant for recommendations on articles or books to understand more about how they keep abreast on the subject, and learn about topics that they are interested in.

I would look at key traits, practiced experience and results, over credentials any day. A piece of paper and endorsement from a paid membership means very little to the art and science of change (lifelong learning in change and adjacent fields is important though, as it shows a dedication to lifelong mastery, this need not be a Prosci or degree for example though).

I would ask what they do to understand the organization's culture and readiness for change. The best methodology only goes so far

This is the REAL qualifier. Your OCM consultant must be able to earn credibility and trust in minutes and do so all day long for many days.

One thing I found helpful is to check their adaptability to unforeseen circumstances or changes in the transition plan. A consultant's ability to pivot strategies, if necessary, and adjust to evolving situations is crucial for success. In the end they are the expert and leader in their field and the most effective leaders are those able to adapt, transition and remain calm in the face of adversity.

The right consultant will have involved the necessary stakeholders in finalising actionable plans. For example, if you have someone with a high degree of influence who has not heard from your consultant at all, it is to me a sign that they are creating plans that don’t have a high degree of support.

Talk to those impacted! Particularly those who are known to be challenging but constructive - usually your talents. Are they advocates, supporters and do they believe in the change. Is your change consultant papering over well known cracks, or helping find real and sustainable solutions to the business challenge.

When evaluating change management consultants during a transition, consider their experience with similar transitions, success stories, and their approach to communication and employee engagement. Look for a consultant with expertise in aligning organizational goals with human performance technology and performance management. Remember that a process cannot be improved without being able to control the process.

Loads of change practitioners can tick a series of boxes. Though how many can design for effective human-centric change with how we humans tick in mind?. I'd look beyond glorified project management and "installation" traits, and more into the ability to influence, design for behavioural change, design for approach vs. avoid states and design for changes that stick (the realisation, not just installation). An ability to coach, influence and educate change enabling leaders is also an advantage.

A change consultant without strong leadership support will have a very hard time to have people follow through on their change plans. It is crucial to assess your leaders on their level of understanding of the role they need to play in the transition and offer them training & mentoring as required.

I stated above that clients that do not explicitly ask about inclusion of the executive team in OCM interventions, suggest that those persons are off limits. I often find that those execs need to adapt their behaviors, align their beliefs, and commit as one to specific outcomes and outcome delivery timeframes. They must be considered potential sources of change risk that I would need to sleuth out on my own through inference more than factual discovery.