From People Manager to Change Manager: New Business Priorities

Recent world events—supply chain crises, COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, economic downturns—have necessitated rapid pivots and changes in working methods which required managers to be fast in responding and proactive in their planning.

Successful businesses require managers who can shepherd their teams through complex changes in methods of working, technology, and market impacts in which their companies operate. Change is a constant that businesses need to continually evolve as Darwin said, “The world will not be inherited by the strongest, it will be inherited by those most able to change”.

But what exactly is change management and why is it so vital??

Change Management 101

First let’s begin with a definition. The American Society for Quality (ASQ) defines change management as “the methods and manners in which a company describes and implements change within both its internal and external processes.” They go on to add that, “this includes preparing and supporting employees, establishing the necessary steps for change, and monitoring pre- and post-change activities to ensure successful implementation.”

Change management is an activity which affects an organisation both vertically (from c-suite to interns) and horizontally (across the supply chain). How the change is implemented, who is impacted and to what degree, mitigation strategies to reduce the impact, are all part of the thinking and planning. However, the negative impacts of change are most keenly felt in an organisation that has stood still for too long. Change is a constant and by building mid and long-term strategies linked to an overall target that is actively communicated and discussed change can become part of the business culture.

Where to start? It can be a daunting task, usually it is clear as some result or outcome will have triggered a need to assess and review. Remember not everything needs changing all at once and it is important to understand the start point and the impacts it will and won’t have. The process of planning for a new way of working, then implementing and monitoring its effects need to be structured into a process.

There are many relevant theories that could be used to assess project and leadership management. Examples would be the Prosci ADKAR model, the Lewin model, and Kotter's 8 steps. Lewin’s “unfreeze, change, refreeze” (Lewin, 1935) is important to consider in regard to “unsticking” the discussion around feedback and the taking away inertia, but as this was written some 87 years ago, I personally feel the more relevant approach is the Prosci ADKAR model, especially when evaluating the role that leadership plays in implementation. The model was created by Jeff Hiatt in 2003 and in some ways is the practical implementation of Lewin’s theory through the use of detailed tactical and operational activities to drive change.

Starting with the “enablement zone”, what is the level of awareness around what isn’t working? Have options and feedback been shared in a transparent way to enable learning and improvement, the “desire” is about creating a psychologically safe place to discuss without fear of recourse. In the ADK phase communication is essential a key differentiator between success and failure. When moving into the “engagement zone” of AR, without communication the process will never take off.?

Examples of Change Management

Here are some of the situations linked to recent events which may require a change management program:

• A global pandemic prevents teams from working in proximity. Possible solutions may include obtaining SaaS tools for remote working, using a videoconferencing tool for meetings, adding a daily or weekly conference call to working schedules and offering financial support for staff with home working obstacles.
• Supply chain issues require a company to abandon overseas suppliers. This could require a company to audit possible alternative suppliers, and negotiate deals, then rethink supply logistics and distribution, including local quality standards assurance.
• The business model becomes outdated, causing outlets to close. Such a situation might require a rapid pivot to offering new products and services, which will affect every department from R&D to procurement to marketing and sales.
• A brand acquires a poor reputation for environmental protection. This could entail a wide-ranging process of change, including technological reassessment, and the hiring of sustainability specialists. It might also entail a rebranding and additional expenditure in marketing and PR.
• A retail company moves to offering a 24-hour service. Though this might sound like a small change at first, the human resources requirements will be significant. There could be impacts on energy and insurance expenditure and potentially the need to invest in 24-hour customer service or support helpdesks too.

As these examples demonstrate, change management can take many forms and affect a host of different departments. It requires negotiation skills and an empathic and charismatic leader of change.

Managing Change – The Benefits of Instilling a Culture of Innovation

Since organisational changes are coming thick and fast, it’s vital to encourage a culture that expects and accepts change, and even welcomes it. Part of change management is changing the corporate mindset so that the business becomes more innovative in everything it does.

A good change manager uplifts their team, building confidence and making colleagues believe they can lead change themselves. Part of this is a willingness to try out ideas, accepting that not everything will work and that, when things fail, we learn and try again. Alongside this, a streamlined method for getting from idea to implementation should be developed. The fewer approvals are needed in this process, the better.

Here, it helps to give employees individual areas of responsibility, while providing coaching as they transition.

Here are some of the benefits for employees of adopting this approach:

• Employees feel more trusted and valued, which builds engagement and improves individual productivity. It also allows for more career development.
• Team cohesion is improved when everyone feels they have an important role in driving beneficial change.
• Ideas proliferate when everyone is given a chance to contribute – this gives management a better range of options to choose between when shaping their implementation plans.
• While freedom is permitted in terms of trying out new ideas, this must be balanced with a more standardised approach to workflows. This in turn increases organisational efficiency and productivity.
• A culture built on change and innovation will tend to have a less top-down hierarchical structure. This means there’s less overall bureaucracy to negotiate and ideas can be implemented more quickly. Time isn’t being lost in waiting for a chain of approvals to come down.
• Team communication is improved, as a culture of transparency is adopted, and managers are more approachable and open-minded.

All these benefits should accrue within a change-orientated workplace culture. But only if you provide sufficiently inspiring leadership.

What are the vital components of mentoring change?

Here are five tips for change managers wishing to lead by example:

1. Focus on mentoring key team members. By selecting a handful of people to mentor, you can instil a change-orientated attitude in key managers, then let them pass on this approach to their teams.
2. Try as much as possible to be direct and transparent in your communication. Give credit where it is due and identify problems as soon as they occur (without assigning individual blame publicly). Make sure you have a reputation for being approachable and you’ll get honest information in return from your team.
3. Be as present as possible, spending time on the “shop floor” so you can gain a real insight into how things work. Not only does this demonstrate that you care, but it sends a subtle signal that you’re paying close attention to how your change plan is being implemented.
4. Provide direct, hands-on coaching with aspects your team find more challenging. Lead by example, not by memo.
5. Don’t change everything at once. A recent Infosys survey of 1000 business leaders, described in Harvard Business Review found that “a persistent set of small, orchestrated changes is the best approach to drive large and lasting change at an organization. These small changes, when made continuously over a period, have a compounding effect that drives larger change and transformation.”

Managing change in a rapidly evolving environment

Let’s conclude with some final thoughts on managing change and how it interfaces with personnel management:

• Reducing bureaucracy in the decision-making process is essential if leaders build a more change-orientated culture. The more people involved in decision making, at different levels of a hierarchy, the harder and slower decision are to make.
• The best change managers are those who develop a reputation for being approachable, honest, and direct in their dealings with colleagues.
• Change needs to be managed in increments, at just the right speed, so that people have somewhere to stand while changes are being implemented.
• At all stages, the efficacy of changes must be monitored. Businesses need to be ready to pivot to an alternative plan if things aren’t working out. Monitoring doesn’t stop when all changes are in place – here’s where it’s vital to measure those metrics going forward so that you know if you’re meeting, exceeding, or falling short of expectations.
• Take a data-driven approach. Remote and hybrid work necessitates a more hands-off approach. However, this doesn’t mean managers need to give a free rein to their employees. Performance metrics simply become more important and work outcomes must be measured against expectations.
• Internal communication is vital.

The only thing which remains constant in the modern workplace is change itself.?