Navigating Organizational Change:

A Three-Step Process for Successful Change Management

By D'Artagnan "Dart" Fischer

Organizations often fail to effectively manage change due to a lack of transparency and employee involvement. Merely informing staff of a change is insufficient; it is crucial to foster understanding and buy-in. Some organizations write about pending organizational changes and post it on the company Web site, which does not cut it. Some will send a broadcast e-mail message with a thirty-page memo inside the email, which also does not cut it. Without a clear understanding of the reasons behind the change, employees may naturally resist the change(s), both consciously and subconsciously.

A Historical Overview of Organizational Change Management:

Early Foundations:

In the 1940’s Kurt Lewin presented a Three-Stage Model that outlined his perception of the phases of change: Unfreezing (the part where the organization prepares for making changes), Moving (the actual change implementation), and then refreezing (re-solidifying the organization in the new changed state).

The concept of Organizational Development (OD) emerged somewhere between the 1950s and 1960s and gave focus to improving organizational effectiveness through interventions; team building (building team synergy), process improvement (which is what evolved into Lean processes), and changes in organizational culture.

The Modern Era:

In the 1990s and early 2000s, additional focus was given to the perceived importance of addressing the human elements of change management. New models emerged such Kotter’s Eight-Step Model, and Prosci’s ADKAR Model, which gave rise to addressing individual and organizational change simultaneously.

The embrace of technology has also provided a significant impact to organizational change. Things like automation, digital transformation, and even a remote workforce have necessitated adaptations in managing organizational change. In more recent years, Agile, adaptive changes, dynamic changes, and continuous improvement have been snowballing conceptual changes into the bigger category of organizational change management.

The Key Trends and Themes that Got Us Here:

Early organizational change management often failed because employees were not engaged. Organizations have increasingly recognized the key importance of employee engagement because without it they fail. Engagement reduces resistance and fosters employee buy-in.

Good communication is essential for success, and not just organizational change management. Good communication is essential to help staff understand the changes, essential for getting their buy-in, and essential for engaging staff in solutions. If people do not understand the changes that are ahead of them, what do they do, both consciously and subconsciously? They fight it! Sending a memo, or posting to a Website, does not assure that staff understand the changes. It does not guarantee they will read what you sent or posted. Good communication is talking about it, and not just sending a memo. Leadership needs to be able to address concerns, facilitate the building of trust, and ensure that employees truly understand what is coming.

Leaders of the organization must provide the vision, direction, and support during any change processes. Good leaders do not simply say, “Because I told you to!” Organizational change that often fails comes from leaders that send memos about change, and then become invisible when people want to talk about it. If you institute changes and then disappear, success is unlikely.

The organizational culture plays a significant role in change management. If the organization is seen to be addressing cultural barriers, the fostering of a culture built of innovation and adaptation, will meet with more success. If the cultural changes are significant, then leadership is wise to visibly spend more time addressing the concerns of staff. Active participation is expected, but passive or non-existent addressing of concerns will be noticed more than one might expect.

The Three-Step Strategy for Successful Organizational Change Management:

1. Foster Understanding and Buy-In:

Put every effort into CLEARLY communicating the vision, the reasons for the changes, and the intended benefits. Avoid top-down mandates that show up as a memo or a company Web page posting, and instead engage employees in open discussions…and LISTEN to what people have to say. Encourage questions and feedback to ensure everyone understands the rationale behind the change. Put extra effort into addressing any concerns that staff may have. If someone felt that it was important enough to bring up, leadership should address it.

2. Empower Employees as Solution Creators:

Involve employees in the solution-finding process. By allowing them to contribute their ideas and perspectives, you can foster a sense of ownership and commitment to the successful implementation of changes. When employees feel invested in the solution, they are more likely to support and implement it, because they are part of the solution.

3. Empower Employees as Change Agents:

Delegate responsibility for implementing the solution to employees. By placing them in implementation leadership roles, you can harness their enthusiasm and commitment to drive the change forward. This approach can also help overcome resistance from peers and ensure that the change is implemented effectively. When staff understand the needs, understand the solutions, and understand the way forward, they also become agents of change that can reach more staff and improve the odds of success.

Conclusion

As organizations continue to traverse and navigate through the turbulent seas of change, the overall discipline of organizational change management will undoubtedly continue to evolve. Having a basic understanding of how change management has evolved up to this point does help in understanding the bigger change management picture. This is not to imply that you need to go backward to make it work, but it can prove helpful to understand why past change management efforts were not as successful as they could have been.

Effective organizational change management requires collaboration and an employee-centric engagement approach. By fostering understanding, empowering employees, and creating a sense of ownership, organizations can successfully navigate change and achieve their desired organizational change outcomes.

References

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail—and what leaders can do to succeed. Harvard Business Review Press.

Kotter, J. P., & Schlesinger, L. A. (1979). Choice opportunities and consequences in change implementation. Harvard Business Review, 57(2), 107-118.

Lewin, K. (1947). Field theory in social science: Selected theoretical papers. Harper & Brothers.

Prosci. (2023). Prosci Change Management Methodology. https://www.prosci.com/methodology-overview