10 Steps to a More Promising Change Management Outcome

Today’s business climate is constantly changing. In fact, many economic forecasters are predicting very uncertain times for years to come.

Leading change can be one of the most difficult challenges a business can face. This is why from a human resources perspective, it is important that businesses develop change management strategies, as described in a previous HRTools.com Insight.

Furthermore, it is helpful for business leaders and managers to have a basic understanding of the normal emotional responses that employees tend to exhibit when confronted with change, particularly if those adjustments have become frequent and constant.

With that understanding in place, and as employers think about the promise of managing a successful change outcome, it’s also helpful to break the process down into manageable components.

Here are 10 ways that might help you accomplish a more promising outcome:   

1. Take time to describe the change project that will be implemented. Be certain the change project is jointly understood by both the sponsors and change agents before moving forward with any planning of the implementation.  This will reduce confusion, misdirected energy, and wasted time and effort.
2. Identify the critical elements that must be in place for the change to be successful. These elements will be the drivers for what you’re trying to achieve.
3. Be disciplined enough to take the time to think through which changes are imperative to move forward. Most businesses encounter many situations that maintaining the status quo can become prohibitively expensive.  A great analogy to use is that of a burning platform.  Imagine you are on a burning platform with all your desired changes.  It is a critical business strategy to decide which changes you leap from the platform with.  We  have a tendency to rush into change before giving it enough time and thought.
4. Be prepared to communicate the expected results of the anticipated outcomes. You will want to review the objectives of the change, so employees will have a clear idea of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
5. Examine the constraints or challenges you face as part of your strategic planning. For example, you may have budgetary or time constraints. Or, you might run up against some technology-related constraints. There can also be constraints involving people or resources; you might not have enough people to pull it off successfully. If you consider these constraints ahead of time, you will be better prepared to maneuver around them.
6. Analyze what problems are driving the decisions for making these changes. Is it because someone just came up with what sounded like a ‘good idea’? This is most important because analyzing the driving factors can also greatly impact your time frames and resource allocations. In other words, you should stop and ask yourself, “Is this a problem we’re trying to fix, or is this just a good idea proposed by someone?” This analysis is important because change usually involves some pain. There is some truth in the age-old saying, “Pain drives change.”  It is easier to get  commitment from others when you are fixing a problem versus implementing a new idea..
7. Evaluate roles for the change process. Who is going to be the sponsor? Who will help drive this change? Who is going to own it and make sure it reaches the desired implementation stages? Who are going to be the change agents? All in all, you will need to identify these roles and who will carry them through.
8. Develop a formal communication plan. This can be a difficult step because it is challenging to stop long enough to effectively coordinate all the communication pieces. Again, it’s important to clarify the change, why it’s important and who will be affected by the change. This communication plan should also include what you’re looking for from certain individuals and their levels of commitment, including what actions will be required from them. It’s very important to be open and clear.
9. Watch for signs of resistance. There will be resistance.  Plan for it and watch for signs.  The signs are not always apparent or obvious. Some people will perceive the change as positive; and others will perceive it as negative. Realistically, what happens is this: when people see that the change may ‘upset their apple carts’, they tend to perceive the change as undesirable or negative. They may even perceive a change as positive and then, once they better understand the change and what it means to them, can begin to resist until they gain their momentum to move forward.
10. Be prepared to help people work through some of the negative perceptions. You will also want to be prepared to determine, along the way, if some individuals have the ability and the willingness to make the changes. If they lack in either of those, you can face a danger of the change not reaching full implementation. So, keep a look out for signs of dysfunctional behaviors. Oftentimes, what happens in such cases is that people are just simply tapped out on their capacities to cope. To meet this challenge, you will have to figure out ways to raise their capacity.

For more guidance in this area, I recommend a book by Daryl R. Conner titled, Managing at the Speed of Change.

In this book, Conner describes some of the attributes that people have; and how we can help people based on those attributes. For example, some people view life in a very positive way i.e., “the glass is always half full”. Then, again, others may view life with “the glass is always half empty” outlook. Once you have a basis for understanding people in these ways, you stand a better chance of being able to help them raise their capacities. 

Other attributes to watch for in individuals is their ability to focus, be flexible, organized, and proactive.

Granted, executing change is a very challenging leadership task. This role requires effective communication and collaboration skills.

Organizations that take the time to think through and act upon their change management strategic plans will be much more likely to enjoy a successful transition and outcome.

Leading change can be one of the most difficult challenges a business can face.