The Change Management struggle "dismantled"

Why are we afraid so much of change?

When introducing change in organizations, senior management is often reluctant or even anxious, considering the potential reaction of their team members.

Change is the only constant. All around us, technologies, processes, people, ideas and methods often change, affecting the way we perform our daily tasks and live our lives.

Today's change management initiatives lead to substantial results through changes in systems and behaviours. Change management has therefore become a critical skill, both for leadership and employees in an organisation, as well as for the individual person.

So, prior to initiate change, we need to set our strategy asking the following questions:

What changes? How much need is there for change? Which groups will be affected? How long will the change take?

Who will lead the change? Which functional groups should be represented to lead the effort? Do we need a working group/dedicated task force? Who is affected and who will implement the change?

What will happen if we do/don't do "go for it?" How significant/radical is the change? Are there exceptions or deviations that need to be considered? Is there a choice?

And upon answering the aforementioned, we need to make sure that another question is adequately answered in our team members’ minds “What’s in it for me?” For change to be successful, people must be willing to support and participate in change. Showing everyone what change means to them will be an excellent starting point and will help build support.

Further tips to help you manage change successfully fall under 4 main pillars:

1.??????Contact: Keep the lines of communication open before, during, and after the change as changes may be needed.

2.??????Training: educate all parties on the reasons for the change and what the expected results will be.

3.??????Flexibility: be flexible and ready to modify or update the current change plan to account for any unforeseen events.

4.??????Affected Parties: It is especially important to involve the people involved in the change in the change process.

So, the key to success is to embrace change and collaborate with affected people to initiate, implement, and sustain change. Utilizing team’s skills such as effective interactive communication, planning & organizing skills, negotiation and conflict management skills as well as project management skills will only prove useful down the line.

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