How to Choose a Change Management Certification for Your Organization?

What is Change Management?

Change Management is a relatively new discipline that has grown in popularity across organizations in North America and other parts of the world. More than ever before, it’s not enough for leaders to be good at their jobs, they also need to be good at inspiring people to take action.

Change management, in simple terms, is about being able to get employees to commit to the changes introduced (to do "what it takes”), in contrast to getting them to comply to changes (or “doing it because I have to”).

Why Change Management Matters?

Most important initiatives in organizations—think of the introduction of a new software, process or organizational structure—require people to do something different. That is, people need to change their behaviors in order for the value of the change to be realized.

When a careful change management process is not followed, employees end up reverting back to old ways of doing things or circumvent the new solution altogether, leading to wasted efforts and lack of value realization.

Choosing the right Change Management certification course

In this article, we would like to share two different approaches to Change Management and examples of certification programs. Note: We subscribe to what we call the “Experiential Approach” and that happens to be the approach we use in our learning programs. That said, we will explain the pros and cons of each approach to help you make the best decision based on your needs.

Let’s dive in.

Traditional approach to change management certification

This approach teaches leaders a process and tools they can use to manage change.?PROSCI? offers an excellent 3-day course,?for example, which is popular among organizations and individuals who want to make a career change and do more “change work.” We call this the “traditional” approach because most of what you’ll learn in the course is based on slides and concepts, with little room for experimentation aside from in-class exercises and facilitated conversations.

One of the great things about PROSCI’s change management certification is that this US-based company has done an excellent job at articulating something that is quite intangible in simple words. PROSCI? also has a very strong presence online and in the job market which helps those looking for a job as change consultants.

Experiential approach to change management certification

This approach is better suited for you if you are looking to rollout a change management certification program that is less concerned with concepts and templates, and more focused on getting leaders in your organizations to?learn by doing.?ExperienceChange??is an excellent example of this approach.

In this one-day workshop, leaders and managers are challenged to “roll up their sleeves” and tackle a realistic change project presented to them via an e-simulation.

More than 75% of their time is spent on team-based project work, leading a change from analysis through to planning and implementation (rather than listening to an instructor!). At the end of the experience participants receive access to the simulation for another week along with templates they can download to continue honing on their skills.

Which is the best certification for you?

The answer to this question, in our opinion, depends on whether you are looking for a formal certification that is more geared towards developing your employees as “change agents/consultants,” responsible for actively supporting change efforts vs. if you are looking to develop a leader who will be sponsoring those changes.

For the former (change agents/consultants), we recommend PROSCI’s certification as it supplies more tools and a rather rigid process.

If you are a leader or someone looking to put a leader (C-suite, Directors, or Managers of different business areas responsible for sponsoring changes) through an experience that will develop their skills in an engaging and realistic way, we recommend?ExperienceChange?. Why??Because, in our experience, organization leaders will almost never use the templates and tools provided by PROSCI? and, instead, they'll be looking for a framework to guide their actions and an opportunity to put this framework at test in a realistic environment.

In our experience, organization leaders will almost never use the templates and tools provided by PROSCI's certification and, instead, they'll be looking for a framework to guide their actions and an opportunity to put this framework at test in a realistic environment.

To learn how we’re helping organizations like yours with their change management efforts, please schedule a?free consultation with us.