What is change management and what is the key to success?

I think that first and foremost, the change before us should be accepted, especially if at the top of the organization the decision has already been made and whether the change will be implemented is beyond our control. Of course, the fact is that the goal of the change itself should be to push the organization forward, although not all changes are changes for the better, in theory that's what it should be. Change is supposed to bring profit.

Changes can be different. Small ones and big ones. Those that affect our work and those that don't interfere with our duties. Significant and bringing real benefits or those that only slightly change something for us. Changes may be necessary, needed or optional.

In any case, however, it is crucial that the person managing the change knows what he or she is doing, understands the purpose of the change and fully believes that the change makes sense, because if any of these factors do not work as they should, there is a huge likelihood of failure, or at the very least, the implementation of the change will involve problems of varying magnitude and extend the time we have planned for the change.

So what is crucial in the process of implementing change?

The most important thing is to have a good and as detailed a plan as possible, to pay attention to possible risks (more or less likely), and above all, the key to a smooth change process is to have strong leader (leaders) who sincerely and openly believe in the goal of the change and can infect others with love for that goal and commitment to it.

Strong leadership that believes in what they are doing can work wonders, even in very difficult processes that some or most are not comfortable with.

The question arises, why change something when it's fine the way it is?

Well, it's true, sometimes sitting in our own armchair we don't look at the goals of the whole organization from a strategic perspective and we don't adjust in our minds the activities of the company to the changing reality, however, the world is still moving forward, technologies and social or economic conditions are changing, and as the world progresses we should adjust companies to these changes.

Companies boards should stay ahead of reality in their thinking, anticipate risks to the business, but also ahead of time recognize opportunities for growth.

No change, especially in large organizations, is a matter of moments, because usually the full process of implementing a change can take months or even years, and sometimes one change entails an avalanche of other, so it is a long and arduous process, for which a lot of attention, work and, above all, cooperation between the people who make up the organization is needed.

The leader or leaders, united by a common goal, should constantly review the purpose and objectives of the change and adapt them to the realities and the changing reality around. It is very important to go back to it and verify that the goal we set at the beginning is still valid, and if so, it should be reminded to others affected by the change.

It is important that everyone, regardless of the level occupied in the organization, knows what the goal is and understands it to the best of their ability, because without this we will not get far in our process.

It is also important that everybody know what steps are planned to achieve our goal.

It is a well-known fact that as humans we often step out of our comfort zone, unable to fully predict how we will find ourselves in the new reality after the changes.

Understanding and knowing what is going to happen and why is therefore key to comfort and maintaining a sense of security for employees, because it is indeed people are creating every organization is made of! Transparency is the foundation of a smooth transition process of change.