How do you set and track SMART change objectives?

SMART change objectives ensure that change initiatives are well-defined, achievable, and aligned with the organization's direction. They help in setting clear expectations, measuring success, and guiding the change process effectively.

Change symbolizes vitality. Without change, there's stagnation. SMART objectives bring authenticity to planning by demanding detailed, well-thought-out goals. This process necessitates wisdom, a blend of knowledge and experience, to discern if these details align with the larger vision. It's important to consider the absence of factors like stakeholder involvement, agile methodology, and marginal risk assessment in this context. Addressing these could further enhance the robustness and relevance of the change process.

Change is a sign of life. If it doesn't change, it has no life. Using SMART indicators provide some authenticity to your planning by requiring specific details for your goals. It requires wisdom (knowledge+experience) to know whether these are the right details. I note there is no mention of stakeholders, agile methodology, or marginal risk.

SMART objectives are vital as are the activities and plans that support their achievement, alongside tracking progress against outputs, outcomes, and milestones. But none of it matters without and understanding and acceptance that if the process is rigid and not iterative, the chances of success will be impeded. All change processes are themselves subject to change. Circumstances, economic climate, the political environment, and especially the nuances that the people bring to any plan will impact how things pan out. Include regular reviews and don’t be scared to move the goalposts if that means the outcomes will be better.

SMART Change objectives would have to be set in collaboration with the change targets to align and engage. This would need to be preceded by an adequate dialog which empowers them to participate in collaborating setting SMART objectives and this is contingent on a trusting relationship which addresses both the cognitive and the emotional dimensions. Using a "template approach to set SMART objectives" will be waste of time until the stakeholders are ready willing and able to participate meaningfully in this essential step. I would add that the specificity of the goals would also have to be broad because we manage at the speed of trust of key stakeholders and at the speed of change that targets can assimilate - not a mechanical process.

SMART change objectives are crucial for several reasons, Top 3 being: Clarity and Focus: SMART objectives provide a clear and focused direction for change efforts. They define exactly what needs to be achieved, helping teams stay on track and avoid ambiguity. Measurable Progress: The "M" in SMART emphasizes measurability. This enables organizations to track progress, assess whether objectives are being met, and make data-driven decisions. Realistic Planning: The "A" in SMART ensures that objectives are achievable with the available resources and capabilities. This prevents setting unrealistic goals that could lead to frustration and failure.

To be clear, the acronym is a third of the attraction. Knowing that you are using a SMART process feels more secure than trying to remember all the attributes of a good goal. Another third of the value is covering most of the dimensions of an action you intend.A fuller list might include time, costs, quality, resources, stakeholders, risks, and key approvals/reviews. Third, it can concatenate, that is SMART Goals can be used to describe sub goals for more complex goals

SMART objectives are typically associated with goals that are defined for a context with which we are familiar and is more predictable. Change does not conform to these requirements until much later in the process. Within the context of leading change a Goal Directed Project Management approach would be superior but still have the desired effect because it is a top-down planning collaborative approach. This also assumes that the change management framework and its associated strategy and supporting communication plan, based on stakeholder analysis, has been articulated already and the leadership community is aligned and engaged.

They make strategy actionable. KRAs > KPIs > OKRs > Objectives > SMART Goals >Projects > Enabled Processes to Results in KRAs. Aling the way, SMART Goals provide Measurements, Measures, Risks, CSFs, Critical Resources, and Enabling Capabilities.

Remember, it isn't the plan, it's the planning that is most important. I'm sure that Budweiser had a good Change Management Plan in place... but they fixated on their goal instead of awareness of their market. This is Goal blindness instead of Plan awareness. Use experienced inputs to set criteria, and keep them close because every plan needs to be updated and get a "mid-course" correction.

Change management is a delicate balance between what you want to achieve and what you have to let go of. When we decided to operate only in the niche premium category and let go of commodity offerings, it was not easy to implement. The team was to be aligned with organizational goal and they were to be made understood of the long term benefits. In the short term, one has to be prepared to sacrifice volume in order to maintain profitability. Reinforcement is the key. It’s a continuous process and not for a single moment you can drop guard. Time and again, you have to remind yourself of the mission. Also, not all goals can be SMART. It’s actually not necessary always. When you operate in a VUCA world, not everything can be tied to Time.

Identify the Capabilities (talent, processes, technologies, and culture) that will be required to 1) design, develop, implement, and realize OKRs of the change over a sustained period. 2) set change objectives to realize those capabilities 3) decompose the Objectives to SMART Goals for individuals and teams. Caution: Do not focus on the change, focus on realizing the expected benefits of the change over time.

Every change process, including ADKAR, is a set of milestones or stage gates which indicate progress towards achieving sustainable change that is internalized for each member in the target group. While this is useful to know, in the context of change management these stages do not exhibit classical behavior for a few reasons. A change process is a map but the distance and rate of travel between two points is different for every person, achieving a milestone is not an event but a process itself, with a distribution of effect, and achievement of a stage today does not mean that people will regress tomorrow. All of this done via dialog and interpretation of words and actions, which is contingent on the capability of the change leader.

ADKAR is just an acronym, which already existed before ADKAR. How you do each step is what matters. It is as good as the user Organizations need to be fit and people equipped to use it right

To use ADKAR effectively: Assess: Identify the change and the people affected. Communicate: Share clear messages about the change. Engage: Involve stakeholders and address resistance. Educate: Provide necessary information and training. Support: Offer resources and assistance for change. Reinforce: Celebrate successes and maintain change. Adjust: Gather feedback and make improvements. ADKAR guides individuals and organizations through successful change adoption.

Teach its principles to leaders at all levels and have them mange transitions at the individual and team levels a part of their job as leaders. This produces many micro-OCM teams each lead by team leaders leading aligned delivery of SMART Goals, responding to local needs with local resources.

A change process helps keep the change leader on track by providing a reference framework - this is the mechanical part or "what must be done". The most important part of achieving a successful outcome = sustainable change is the "how" the process is implemented and has many contingencies that impact it in a significant way. This means several things such as the quality of the dialog - questions, answers, interpretation, the dynamic affected by sponsorship, the business case for change, the vision, communication of the vision, the change story, the capability of leadership, the effectiveness of the strategy and its implementation ..... Change Management by numbers or following a process recipe is certain to fail.

The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic framework to define a cause and effect strategy map and track its implementation and achievement of benefits in terms of business results, customer satisfaction, process performance and critical enablers. The learning organization which is the people capabilities and development is where change management has application and that fuels, enables and drives the strategy. It is essential to have a strategic framework to provide context and direction for the change process, which would be of little value without this. SMART is a generic application which is great when it is situational relevant and is more useful at granular levels when applied to small processes that are under our influence.

The Balanced Scorecard is useful to set KRAs and KPIs that lead to OKRs and Objectives. There is no need for BSC once Objectives are set. ADKAR and BSC carry a lot of administrative overhead that cannot keep up with rapid incremental change of adaptive challenges responses. Conditions change so frequently that focus on other than producing desired outcomes and managing obstacles to that end requires utmost leadership attention. Focus on achieving SMART Goals and Objective Outcomes.

Taking out a page from my diary, here is a great example; SITUATION: Drivers cant find vessels, getting close to 5000 calls a week, lost revenue, angry customers. TASK: Identify the problematic store, delivery instructions, signage, responsibility ACTION:Lifecycle of an order, task force, audit, alert, signage, lightings, visiting sites, training staff, revisiting operational best practices, liaisng with 3rd parties to update images, instructions, error reporting metrics, introduce Ticketing triage Result: Signage updated, call volumes dropped to around 100 weekly, a success of 98%, 3rd party drivers reported better directions, defected orders missed items reduced by 2.5 percent Overall defects dropped to a mere 1.7 % of net revenue

Setting and tracking SMART change objectives is crucial for successful transformation. I follow these steps: 1. Specific: Clearly define the objective. 2. Measurable: Use metrics to track progress. 3. Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic given resources and constraints. 4. Relevant: Align with the overall strategy. 5. Time-bound: Set a clear timeframe.

SMART change objectives are: Specific (S): Clear goals that answer what, why, and how, avoiding ambiguity. Measurable (M): Quantifiable objectives for tracking progress and success assessment. Achievable (A): Realistic goals considering resources and capabilities. Relevant (R): Objectives aligned with strategic priorities and bigger picture. Time-bound (T): Set within a specific timeframe for urgency and accountability. In summary, SMART objectives ensure clear, achievable, and strategic change goals, aiding successful change management.