The ADKAR change model was first published by Prosci in 1998. Prosci is the recognised leader in business process design and change management research, and is the world's largest provider of change management and reengineering toolkits and benchmarking information.
Prosci's own research shows that problems with the people dimension of change is the most commonly cited reason for project failures.
And in terms of change management, study after study shows that 70% of all business initiatives where there is a significant change element [which is virtually all of them!] fail to realise the envisaged benefits.
Summary of the ADKAR model
It is based on 2 basic ideas:
(1) It is people who change, not organisations.
(2) Successful change occurs when individual change matches the stages of organisational change.
For successful change to occur at the individual level people need to move through each of these stages:
- Awareness of the need for change - Desire to make the change happen - Knowledge about how to change - Ability to implement new skills and behaviours - Reinforcement to retain the change once it has been made
For organisational change to be successful, these individual changes need to progress at or close to the same rate of progress through the business dimension of change.
Prosci define the business dimension of change as including these typical project elements:
- Business need or opportunity is identified - Project is defined (scope and objectives) - Business solution is designed (new processes, systems and organizational structure) - New processes and systems are developed - Solution is implemented into the organization
Evaluation of the AKBAR model
There are 2 quite different streams of thought that have shaped the practise of change management.
(1) The engineer's approach to business improvement with the focus on business process.
(2) The psychologist's approach to understanding human responses to change with the focus on people.
The single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives has been the over-emphasis on process rather than people - the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it.
Closely allied to that reason is the lack of process to directly address the human aspects of change.
In my view their ADKAR model reflects the BPR background of Prosci and the engineers approach to business improvement, this is quite apparent in the language and tone of their description of the model and with their emphasis on management and process alone.
The clear strength of the model is that provides a useful management checklist of the phases of the transition.
The weaknesses, in my view, are as follows, the ADKAR model:
(1) Fails to distinguish between "incremental change" and "step change"
If the change involves any of these following factors then it will definitely need to be handled as a "step change" and treated as a specific initiative that sits outside of business as usual. The factors are: complexity, size, scope and priority.
The ADKAR model is, in my view, suited to incremental change and is an effective management checklist. But it misses out far too much to be fully effective in a step change initiative.
(2) Fails to distinguish between the roles and functions of leadership as well as management
Whilst the very definitions change management and project and programme management emphasise the management aspect [and of course this is important] much of the cause of the 70% failure rate in change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership... Leadership that sees the bigger picture - that ensures that people will follow - and the discipline of a programme management approach provides the tools and processes to facilitate that.
A step change initiative needs to be led - and it needs to be seen to be led.
(3) Ignores the need for leadership to address the emotional dimension
The transition between stage one of the ADKAR model - an awareness of the need for change and stage two - the desire to participate and support the change can be massive - especially in a step change.
One of the main points that William Bridges makes in his book "The Way of Transition " is that transition is not the same as change. Change is what happens to you. Transition is what you experience.
Many thought leaders in the world of change management and change leadership are now speaking vociferously about the importance of the emotional dimension of leadership and the need to address the human dimension of change.
So to summarise, in Bridges' own words: "A change can work only if the people affected by it can get through the transition it causes successfully."
(4) Fails to see the macro level of programme management
Steps three to five of the AKBAR model are about knowledge of how to change, ability to implement change and reinforcement - making change stick, and these all relate to one of the biggest issues re implementing change - which boils down to: translating vision and strategy into actionable steps.
The traditional project approach referred to by the AKBAR model - sees it as a set of tasks which if executed successfully get a result. In other words the typical process led approach which has failed so consistently and so spectacularly over the last 20 years.
There is an important distinction between the micro level and the macro level perspectives of change management - and which the AKBAR fails to recognise.
At the macro level the root cause of this is lack of clarity and lack of communication about the people aspects of how to manage change - and even more fundamentally - the lack of a language and contextual framework to articulate and manage the necessary processes of change that will work for people. At this level, a major part of the solution to this lies in employing a programme management approach to change, and this is because it is holistic and takes far more account of the many dimensions overlooked by the narrow scope of a project management led approach.
At the micro level, delivering a strategy and changing a culture requires hands-on detailed management - micro management on occasions - in the specifics of how to do it - especially during the early stages. So at this operational level people need to be enabled and supported to develop the capabilities to deliver your strategy and become what you want them to become [or as close to that as is realistically possible].
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Barriers to Effective Communication in Change Management - But Do They Feel What You Are Saying?
The single biggest barrier to effective communication in a change management situation is quite simply the disconnection between the change leader and those who are or will be impacted by the change.
Failure reasons in change management are many and varied and well documented. Staggeringly any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged.
Any major business initiative or venture where the business leaders fail to identify and quantify the impact on those people most affected by the change carries a high risk of failure.
The underlying root cause of this catastrophic statistic is the failure by change leaders to take full account of the impact of the change on those people who are going to be most impacted by it. And yet.... the price of failure comes so high!
So, to any business leaders reading this, I ask you:
"The numbers may make sense, the business case is sound, the 'synergies' may look sweet, but have you assessed the human, political and cultural factors? Have you taken into account the human impact? Have you made the connection between the human impact and your bottom line?"
There are several reasons why this is often not addressed: first and foremost because the focus is on the business logic; secondly because corporate cultures are hard to see, and finally because this aspect of change is seen as "soft", intangible and unquantifiable and by implication not really worthy of detailed scrutiny.
Just as an illustration of this point in the context of M&A, a study of 40 British companies [Cartright and Cooper 1995] reported that all 40 conducted a detailed financial and legal audit of the company they intended to acquire, but that not even one of these same companies made any attempt to carry out an audit of the company's human resources and culture to assess the challenges concerning integration of the organization they were acquiring.
Yet, I find all of this strange given the colossal financial cost and shareholder value destruction that is the direct result of this failure.
5 proven barriers to effective workplace communication in change management
So, if you really want to get it wrong - here's what to do in 5 simple steps:
(1) Lack of clarity of message - don't tell them what lies behind the change and don't sell the problem before you try to sell the solution. Use jargon, plenty of it and take a long time telling them. Oh and to really make this one stick, don't tell them how it's going to be different after the change - just keep telling them how its all about the values, mission and vision.
(2) Absence of emotional resonance in your message - the emotional tone and delivery of your message should clearly indicate that you as senior management haven't given a second thought to the real impact this is going to have on them. Don't tell what they're going to lose or have to let go of. And to reinforce that point make very clear by your tone that you don't care and that that dimension never crossed your mind.
(3) In-accurate targeting - make sure you don't reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Most importantly, never address the "what's in it for me" question, and totally disregard the psychological and emotional transitions they will have to go through in adjusting to your change.
(4) Timing schedule - why waste valuable senior management time keeping your people fully in the picture? Keep them in the dark and keep them guessing.
(5) Feedback process - two-way communication is something you can pay lip service to. Sure go through the motions, but rest easy in the comfortable complacency of your senior management certainty that knows best ["that's what we're paid for isn't it?"]
If you follow these steps you will be in good company as you almost certainly join the illustrious 70% club.
Excuse the lateral thinking for a moment - but can you imagine civil engineers or construction companies or the people who build nuclear power stations - working on the same basis - where a 70% failure rate was accepted? Can you?
So why on earth should the world of business be any different? Why does this bother me? Quite simply, it bothers me because of the very considerable, unnecessary, and totally avoidable human cost.
Failure reasons in change management are many and varied and well documented. Staggeringly any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged.
Any major business initiative or venture where the business leaders fail to identify and quantify the impact on those people most affected by the change carries a high risk of failure.
The underlying root cause of this catastrophic statistic is the failure by change leaders to take full account of the impact of the change on those people who are going to be most impacted by it. And yet.... the price of failure comes so high!
So, to any business leaders reading this, I ask you:
"The numbers may make sense, the business case is sound, the 'synergies' may look sweet, but have you assessed the human, political and cultural factors? Have you taken into account the human impact? Have you made the connection between the human impact and your bottom line?"
There are several reasons why this is often not addressed: first and foremost because the focus is on the business logic; secondly because corporate cultures are hard to see, and finally because this aspect of change is seen as "soft", intangible and unquantifiable and by implication not really worthy of detailed scrutiny.
Just as an illustration of this point in the context of M&A, a study of 40 British companies [Cartright and Cooper 1995] reported that all 40 conducted a detailed financial and legal audit of the company they intended to acquire, but that not even one of these same companies made any attempt to carry out an audit of the company's human resources and culture to assess the challenges concerning integration of the organization they were acquiring.
Yet, I find all of this strange given the colossal financial cost and shareholder value destruction that is the direct result of this failure.
5 proven barriers to effective workplace communication in change management
So, if you really want to get it wrong - here's what to do in 5 simple steps:
(1) Lack of clarity of message - don't tell them what lies behind the change and don't sell the problem before you try to sell the solution. Use jargon, plenty of it and take a long time telling them. Oh and to really make this one stick, don't tell them how it's going to be different after the change - just keep telling them how its all about the values, mission and vision.
(2) Absence of emotional resonance in your message - the emotional tone and delivery of your message should clearly indicate that you as senior management haven't given a second thought to the real impact this is going to have on them. Don't tell what they're going to lose or have to let go of. And to reinforce that point make very clear by your tone that you don't care and that that dimension never crossed your mind.
(3) In-accurate targeting - make sure you don't reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Most importantly, never address the "what's in it for me" question, and totally disregard the psychological and emotional transitions they will have to go through in adjusting to your change.
(4) Timing schedule - why waste valuable senior management time keeping your people fully in the picture? Keep them in the dark and keep them guessing.
(5) Feedback process - two-way communication is something you can pay lip service to. Sure go through the motions, but rest easy in the comfortable complacency of your senior management certainty that knows best ["that's what we're paid for isn't it?"]
If you follow these steps you will be in good company as you almost certainly join the illustrious 70% club.
Excuse the lateral thinking for a moment - but can you imagine civil engineers or construction companies or the people who build nuclear power stations - working on the same basis - where a 70% failure rate was accepted? Can you?
So why on earth should the world of business be any different? Why does this bother me? Quite simply, it bothers me because of the very considerable, unnecessary, and totally avoidable human cost.
Managing Change in the Workplace - 4 Key Steps to Incremental Change
In managing change in the workplace it is extremely important to draw the distinction between "incremental change" and "step change".
Whilst the broad principles of leading and managing change are universal it is very important to establish very early on whether or not what you are proposing can be regarded as "incremental change" and realistically can be accomplished within the constraints of "Business As Usual", or whether it is a "step change" and needs to be handled as a specific initiative - with the appropriate level of senior sponsorship and practical support of a structured programme management based process.
In this article, I am going to address managing change in the workplace as incremental change, that is, change within the context of business as usual.
Given that the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives has been the over-emphasis on process rather than people coupled with the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it. So clearly the approach that I am recommending has to address this with processes that work for people.
Here are the 4 key steps to managing incremental change in the workplace:
(1) Clarity in all areas
Before going anywhere with a proposed change you need to have pristine clarity with regard to:
- The business need for the change
- The specifics of the change
- The benefits of the change
- Most importantly the impacts of the change
I recommend that you consider carefully each of the following questions:
- How's it going to be different when I've made the change?
- Why am I doing this - how's it going to benefit me?
- How will I know it's benefited me?
- Who's it going to affect and how will they react?
- What can I do to get them "on side"?
- What risks and issues do I have to face?
- What steps do I have to take to make the changes and get the benefit?
- How am I going to manage all this so that it happens and I succeed?
(2) Consistent leadership
Change management guru John Kotter suggests that for change to be successful, 75% of a company's management needs to "buy into" the change. So convincing people that the change is necessary is extremely important.
This will require strong leadership and visible support from key people within your organization. Managing change isn't enough - you have to lead it.
So managing change in the workplace also requires leadership that is visible and leadership that is consistent in all aspects of the way in which you lead the change as well as how you manage the situation, handle the communication, and ensure the realisation of the benefits of the change.
The single biggest aspect of your leadership will be how you address the emotional rather than the rational aspects of the change.
Many thought leaders in the world of change management and change leadership are now speaking vociferously about the importance of the emotional dimension of leadership and the need to address the human dimension of change.
Leadership thought leader and management guru William Bridges [who focuses on the emotional and psychological impact and the transition aspects of change] offers these 3 simple questions:
What is changing? - Put together a short clear statement of under 60 seconds duration that summarises why the change is necessary and your intentions - what organisational benefit you hope to realise.
What will actually be different because of the change? - Tell them exactly and precisely where and how things will be different after the change.
Who's going to lose what? - Don't "gloss over" or attempt to minimise or trivialise what they will lose and have to let go of. Be direct, honest and empathic in your truthful recognition of what the impact of your change will mean for them.
You will gain more respect and minimise mistrust by being truthful. This prepares the ground for the practical hands on management support that you will be providing to translate your "change concept" into a tangible organisational benefit.
(3) Constant communication
You can never "over communicate" in leading and managing a change situation and especially with regard to what is happening or not happening and why.
This is also a communication process that listens actively and demonstrates to people that you have thought through the impacts of the change on them, and that you are prepared to work with them through the transition, and that you will help make it work for them.
In terms of the emotional resonance aspect of your communications, remember Martin Luther King who did not stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I have a great strategy" and illustrate it with 10 good reasons why it was a good strategy. He said those immortal words: "I have a dream," and then he proceeded to show the people what his dream was - he illustrated his picture of the future and did so in a way that had high emotional impact.
5 guiding principles of a good change management communication process
- Clarity of message - to ensure relevance and recognition
- Resonance of message - the emotional tone and delivery of the message
- Accurate targeting - to reach the right people with the right message
- Timing schedule - to achieve timely targeting of messages
- Feedback process - to ensure genuine two way communication
(4) Capability and resources
This is about ensuring that your people have the full resources and capabilities they need to support them thro the change. This all boils down to: translating vision and strategy into actionable steps.
As leader of the change, you now face the equally if not more difficult challenge of getting the staff to deliver your new change idea and achieve the organisational benefits that you anticipate.
The trouble is that people are very different in the ways they process information, interpret life, and in the ways they are motivated. Many (probably most) of them are not able to make the leap from hearing and understanding your vision and strategy to translating that into purposeful productive action.
This does not mean that they don't understand it, or agree with it, but it does simply mean that the leap is too great for most people to make - without practical assistance.
So this means that delivering an incremental change requires hands-on detailed management [micro management on occasions] in the specifics of how to do it, especially during the early stages.
Whilst the broad principles of leading and managing change are universal it is very important to establish very early on whether or not what you are proposing can be regarded as "incremental change" and realistically can be accomplished within the constraints of "Business As Usual", or whether it is a "step change" and needs to be handled as a specific initiative - with the appropriate level of senior sponsorship and practical support of a structured programme management based process.
In this article, I am going to address managing change in the workplace as incremental change, that is, change within the context of business as usual.
Given that the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives has been the over-emphasis on process rather than people coupled with the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it. So clearly the approach that I am recommending has to address this with processes that work for people.
Here are the 4 key steps to managing incremental change in the workplace:
(1) Clarity in all areas
Before going anywhere with a proposed change you need to have pristine clarity with regard to:
- The business need for the change
- The specifics of the change
- The benefits of the change
- Most importantly the impacts of the change
I recommend that you consider carefully each of the following questions:
- How's it going to be different when I've made the change?
- Why am I doing this - how's it going to benefit me?
- How will I know it's benefited me?
- Who's it going to affect and how will they react?
- What can I do to get them "on side"?
- What risks and issues do I have to face?
- What steps do I have to take to make the changes and get the benefit?
- How am I going to manage all this so that it happens and I succeed?
(2) Consistent leadership
Change management guru John Kotter suggests that for change to be successful, 75% of a company's management needs to "buy into" the change. So convincing people that the change is necessary is extremely important.
This will require strong leadership and visible support from key people within your organization. Managing change isn't enough - you have to lead it.
So managing change in the workplace also requires leadership that is visible and leadership that is consistent in all aspects of the way in which you lead the change as well as how you manage the situation, handle the communication, and ensure the realisation of the benefits of the change.
The single biggest aspect of your leadership will be how you address the emotional rather than the rational aspects of the change.
Many thought leaders in the world of change management and change leadership are now speaking vociferously about the importance of the emotional dimension of leadership and the need to address the human dimension of change.
Leadership thought leader and management guru William Bridges [who focuses on the emotional and psychological impact and the transition aspects of change] offers these 3 simple questions:
What is changing? - Put together a short clear statement of under 60 seconds duration that summarises why the change is necessary and your intentions - what organisational benefit you hope to realise.
What will actually be different because of the change? - Tell them exactly and precisely where and how things will be different after the change.
Who's going to lose what? - Don't "gloss over" or attempt to minimise or trivialise what they will lose and have to let go of. Be direct, honest and empathic in your truthful recognition of what the impact of your change will mean for them.
You will gain more respect and minimise mistrust by being truthful. This prepares the ground for the practical hands on management support that you will be providing to translate your "change concept" into a tangible organisational benefit.
(3) Constant communication
You can never "over communicate" in leading and managing a change situation and especially with regard to what is happening or not happening and why.
This is also a communication process that listens actively and demonstrates to people that you have thought through the impacts of the change on them, and that you are prepared to work with them through the transition, and that you will help make it work for them.
In terms of the emotional resonance aspect of your communications, remember Martin Luther King who did not stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I have a great strategy" and illustrate it with 10 good reasons why it was a good strategy. He said those immortal words: "I have a dream," and then he proceeded to show the people what his dream was - he illustrated his picture of the future and did so in a way that had high emotional impact.
5 guiding principles of a good change management communication process
- Clarity of message - to ensure relevance and recognition
- Resonance of message - the emotional tone and delivery of the message
- Accurate targeting - to reach the right people with the right message
- Timing schedule - to achieve timely targeting of messages
- Feedback process - to ensure genuine two way communication
(4) Capability and resources
This is about ensuring that your people have the full resources and capabilities they need to support them thro the change. This all boils down to: translating vision and strategy into actionable steps.
As leader of the change, you now face the equally if not more difficult challenge of getting the staff to deliver your new change idea and achieve the organisational benefits that you anticipate.
The trouble is that people are very different in the ways they process information, interpret life, and in the ways they are motivated. Many (probably most) of them are not able to make the leap from hearing and understanding your vision and strategy to translating that into purposeful productive action.
This does not mean that they don't understand it, or agree with it, but it does simply mean that the leap is too great for most people to make - without practical assistance.
So this means that delivering an incremental change requires hands-on detailed management [micro management on occasions] in the specifics of how to do it, especially during the early stages.
Change Management - How to Make it Work and Deliver the Benefits
The western world-view of business can be somewhat simplistically summarised by the "3 P's" - process, people and pounds sterling - a business climate where the "bottom line" is delivered by process - worked by people.
The traditional project approach to change management sees it as a set of tasks that if executed successfully get a result. In other words the typical process led approach which has failed so consistently and so spectacularly over the last 20 years!
Frequently the driver for initiating change is financial - and processes are designed and put in place to deliver the financial benefit. However, 70% of the time it just doesn't work!
Processes that work for people
But, in my view, process is just about people doing stuff - so ultimately it's all about people - and processes that work for people.
We are now living through a scenario of unprecedented change where many of the accepted paradigms are shifting. So a timely approach to managing change and achieving a successful programme implementation is [in my view] one that focuses greater attention on people.
5 key success factors
Here are the key factors that will determine the success of your initiative:
(1) Determining that you are embarking on a step change that sits outside of business as usual and needs to be handled as a specific step-change initiative
(2) The quality of leadership that you provide
(3) Using a programme management based approach to your step change initiative
(4) The thoroughness of your pre-programme review and planning process
(5) The extent to which you identify and address the cultural change in your organisation that is required to deliver the step change and the desired business benefit.
Micro-managing the set up of a step change initiative
In my work as change management specialist, I deliberately pay a lot of attention to the detail and process of successful strategies for managing change. I believe in micro-managing the set up of a step change initiative with a big front-end commitment of senior management time. It is worth it because if you think it all through properly - and set it all up correctly - you get the return on investment of that time in realised benefits.
Clearly the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate has been the over-emphasis on project process rather than the people aspects - the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it. Closely allied to that reason is the lack of process to directly address the human aspects of change.
The traditional project approach to change management sees it as a set of tasks that if executed successfully get a result. In other words the typical process led approach which has failed so consistently and so spectacularly over the last 20 years!
Frequently the driver for initiating change is financial - and processes are designed and put in place to deliver the financial benefit. However, 70% of the time it just doesn't work!
Processes that work for people
But, in my view, process is just about people doing stuff - so ultimately it's all about people - and processes that work for people.
We are now living through a scenario of unprecedented change where many of the accepted paradigms are shifting. So a timely approach to managing change and achieving a successful programme implementation is [in my view] one that focuses greater attention on people.
5 key success factors
Here are the key factors that will determine the success of your initiative:
(1) Determining that you are embarking on a step change that sits outside of business as usual and needs to be handled as a specific step-change initiative
(2) The quality of leadership that you provide
(3) Using a programme management based approach to your step change initiative
(4) The thoroughness of your pre-programme review and planning process
(5) The extent to which you identify and address the cultural change in your organisation that is required to deliver the step change and the desired business benefit.
Micro-managing the set up of a step change initiative
In my work as change management specialist, I deliberately pay a lot of attention to the detail and process of successful strategies for managing change. I believe in micro-managing the set up of a step change initiative with a big front-end commitment of senior management time. It is worth it because if you think it all through properly - and set it all up correctly - you get the return on investment of that time in realised benefits.
Clearly the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate has been the over-emphasis on project process rather than the people aspects - the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it. Closely allied to that reason is the lack of process to directly address the human aspects of change.
Change Management Models - Do They Help and If So How?
The people aspects of change is the overwhelming issue
Change management models have clearly evolved from the days of Kurt Lewin's freeze phases model which was very much a product and reflection of the industrial age - with the emphasis on command control imposed from the top down.
Similarly, even Michael Hammer ["Re-engineering the Corporation"] - the arch proponent of the process led approach to change and business improvement - revised his opinion: "I don't regret saying anything; it's more what I left out. In particular, the human side is much harder than the technology side and harder than the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Psychological impacts of change and managing the transitions
Since Kubler Ross, the concept of an emotional journey through a recognisable path of reactions and responses has been recognised and factored in to all modern models of change management. William Bridges has taken this a stage further with his model that focuses on transitions and the psychological impacts of organisational change and that speaks of developing a culture that embraces change.
Clearly people react at different paces and levels to change and whatever change model is adopted, this needs to be given serious attention.
Many of the more recent change management models place great emphasis on the need for determining the need for change, articulating the desired future and the use of some form of transitional model. In my opinion it is William Bridges - who recognises that it is people who have to carry out change and with his clear emphasis and understanding of what change does to employees [and what they do to the organisation] - who really was the first "management guru" to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization.
Any change management models theories or concepts that directly address the people issues, has particular resonance and practical relevance in the current climate and adds values to our understanding of strategies for managing change.
The programme management based model
In my view the programme management based model addresses all of these critical areas by focusing on a holistic approach that takes full account of the people issues.
So, the programme processes of establishing a blueprint of the changed organisation, with clearly defined benefits of change and thorough attention to the stakeholder mapping and analysis will facilitate the creation of detailed communication strategy that addresses key stakeholder concerns.
Change management models have clearly evolved from the days of Kurt Lewin's freeze phases model which was very much a product and reflection of the industrial age - with the emphasis on command control imposed from the top down.
Similarly, even Michael Hammer ["Re-engineering the Corporation"] - the arch proponent of the process led approach to change and business improvement - revised his opinion: "I don't regret saying anything; it's more what I left out. In particular, the human side is much harder than the technology side and harder than the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Psychological impacts of change and managing the transitions
Since Kubler Ross, the concept of an emotional journey through a recognisable path of reactions and responses has been recognised and factored in to all modern models of change management. William Bridges has taken this a stage further with his model that focuses on transitions and the psychological impacts of organisational change and that speaks of developing a culture that embraces change.
Clearly people react at different paces and levels to change and whatever change model is adopted, this needs to be given serious attention.
Many of the more recent change management models place great emphasis on the need for determining the need for change, articulating the desired future and the use of some form of transitional model. In my opinion it is William Bridges - who recognises that it is people who have to carry out change and with his clear emphasis and understanding of what change does to employees [and what they do to the organisation] - who really was the first "management guru" to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization.
Any change management models theories or concepts that directly address the people issues, has particular resonance and practical relevance in the current climate and adds values to our understanding of strategies for managing change.
The programme management based model
In my view the programme management based model addresses all of these critical areas by focusing on a holistic approach that takes full account of the people issues.
So, the programme processes of establishing a blueprint of the changed organisation, with clearly defined benefits of change and thorough attention to the stakeholder mapping and analysis will facilitate the creation of detailed communication strategy that addresses key stakeholder concerns.
Strategies For Managing Change - How to Manage and Mitigate Risks and Issues
Failure reasons in change management are many and varied. But one thing is painfully clear: Any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged. So risk management and mitigation is clearly an extremely important aspect of the change management process.
A programme management based approach to change leadership and change management will cause you to clearly think through all of the key aspects of how you are going to deliver your vision. So as you think about and plan your proposed change - these are the 8 questions that will set you on the right course:
(1) How's it going to be different when I've made the change?
(2) Why am I doing this - how's it going to benefit me?
(3) How will I know it's benefited me?
(4) Who's it going to affect and how will they react?
(5) What can I do to get them "on side"?
(6) What are the risks and issues that I'll have to face?
(7) What steps do I take to make the changes and get the benefit?
(8) How am I going to manage all this so that it happens and I succeed?
The risk question comes in at number six because if you carefully work through the earlier questions you will go a long way to anticipating and mitigating a lot of the obvious risks - not least the people related risks and issues.
Creating a simple risk management strategy and risk log
However as you progress through your change initiative, the nature, likelihood and impact of perceived risks will change over the duration of the programme. Also, some risks will become greater as a result of another unforeseen event occurring, and new risks may need to be identified as implementation progresses.
It is extremely useful to take a structured approach to this by creating a simple risk management strategy and reviewing it regularly; and creating, maintaining and updating a "risk log" as risks change. This will shape how you approach the following:
- Allocating responsibilities and processes for risk monitoring and control
- Identifying new risks as they emerge
- Maintaining and updating your risk log
- Assessing risks and developing possible countermeasures
- Prioritising, actioning, controlling, escalating and reporting risks
Of all the strategies for managing change, and leading change, the programme management based approach is the most likely to ensure that you avoid the staggering and needless 70% failure rate.
A programme management based approach to change leadership and change management will cause you to clearly think through all of the key aspects of how you are going to deliver your vision. So as you think about and plan your proposed change - these are the 8 questions that will set you on the right course:
(1) How's it going to be different when I've made the change?
(2) Why am I doing this - how's it going to benefit me?
(3) How will I know it's benefited me?
(4) Who's it going to affect and how will they react?
(5) What can I do to get them "on side"?
(6) What are the risks and issues that I'll have to face?
(7) What steps do I take to make the changes and get the benefit?
(8) How am I going to manage all this so that it happens and I succeed?
The risk question comes in at number six because if you carefully work through the earlier questions you will go a long way to anticipating and mitigating a lot of the obvious risks - not least the people related risks and issues.
Creating a simple risk management strategy and risk log
However as you progress through your change initiative, the nature, likelihood and impact of perceived risks will change over the duration of the programme. Also, some risks will become greater as a result of another unforeseen event occurring, and new risks may need to be identified as implementation progresses.
It is extremely useful to take a structured approach to this by creating a simple risk management strategy and reviewing it regularly; and creating, maintaining and updating a "risk log" as risks change. This will shape how you approach the following:
- Allocating responsibilities and processes for risk monitoring and control
- Identifying new risks as they emerge
- Maintaining and updating your risk log
- Assessing risks and developing possible countermeasures
- Prioritising, actioning, controlling, escalating and reporting risks
Of all the strategies for managing change, and leading change, the programme management based approach is the most likely to ensure that you avoid the staggering and needless 70% failure rate.
Strategies For Managing Change - Your Communication Strategy - Say What You Mean and Mean What You
A good Communication Strategy is at the heart of any successful change management process. The more change there is going to be then the greater the need - and especially about the reasons, the benefits, the plans and proposed effects of that change. It is important that an effective communication strategy is defined and actioned as soon as possible and then properly maintained for the duration of the change management programme.
There are 2 aspects to a change management communication strategy: firstly the balance between information content and emotional resonance; and secondly the stage of the initiative, in other words before the change and during.
The structural and content aspect of your communications
You will benefit greatly from the discipline of a programme-based approach to leading and managing your change initiative, as your communication strategy will be based around the following:
- Stakeholder map and analysis [everyone who is going to be impacted by the change and your assessments of those impacts and their reactions]
- Blueprint [the clear definition and statement of the changed organization]
- Vision statement and pre-programme planning process [the high-level vision and the follow-up pre-planning process to unpack the vision and analyse the impacts]
- Programme plan [the steps that will be taken to make the changes and get the benefits - a schedule of projects and projects and initiatives]
The key FACTUAL questions that your communication strategy need to address
- What are the objectives?
- What are the key messages?
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What information will be communicated?
- When will information be disseminated, and what are the relevant timings?
- How much information will be provided, and to what level of detail?
- What mechanisms will be used to disseminate information?
- How will feedback be encouraged?
- What will be done as a result of feedback?
The key EMOTIONAL questions that your communication strategy need to address
In terms of the emotional resonance aspect of the communications, John Kotter makes the point that great change leaders are great at telling visual stories with high emotional impact. Kotter illustrates this the anecdote of Martin Luther King who did not stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I have a great strategy" and illustrate it with 10 good reasons why it was a good strategy. He said those immortal words: "I have a dream," and then he proceeded to show the people what his dream was - he illustrated his picture of the future and did so in a way that had high emotional impact.
William Bridges focuses on the emotional and psychological impact and aspect of the change - and poses these 3 simple questions:
(1) What is changing? Bridges offers the following guidance - the change leader's communication statement must:
- Clearly express the change leader's understanding and intention
- Link the change to the drivers that make it necessary
- "Sell the problem before you try to sell the solution."
- Not use jargon
- Be under 60 seconds in duration
(2) What will actually be different because of the change? Bridges says: "I go into organizations where a change initiative is well underway, and I ask what will be different when the change is done-and no one can answer the question... a change may seem very important and very real to the leader, but to the people who have to make it work it seems quite abstract and vague until actual differences that it will make begin to become clear... the drive to get those differences clear should be an important priority on the planners' list of things to do."
(3) Who's going to lose what? Bridges maintains that the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions of the people impacted by the change. Transition management is all about seeing the situation through the eyes of the other guy. It is a perspective based on empathy. It is management and communication process that recognises and affirms people's realities and works with them to bring them through the transition. Failure to do this, on the part of change leaders, and a denial of the losses and "lettings go" that people are faced with, sows the seeds of mistrust.
5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy
So, in summary the 5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy are as follows:
- Clarity of message - to ensure relevance and recognition
- Resonance of message - the emotional tone and delivery of the message
- Accurate targeting - to reach the right people with the right message
- Timing schedule - to achieve timely targeting of messages
- Feedback process - to ensure genuine two way communication
Failure reasons in change management are many and varied. But one thing is painfully clear. Any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged.
The root cause of all this failure is lack of clarity and a lack of communication. This is what a Programme Management based approach to change is all about and why it so important.
There are 2 aspects to a change management communication strategy: firstly the balance between information content and emotional resonance; and secondly the stage of the initiative, in other words before the change and during.
The structural and content aspect of your communications
You will benefit greatly from the discipline of a programme-based approach to leading and managing your change initiative, as your communication strategy will be based around the following:
- Stakeholder map and analysis [everyone who is going to be impacted by the change and your assessments of those impacts and their reactions]
- Blueprint [the clear definition and statement of the changed organization]
- Vision statement and pre-programme planning process [the high-level vision and the follow-up pre-planning process to unpack the vision and analyse the impacts]
- Programme plan [the steps that will be taken to make the changes and get the benefits - a schedule of projects and projects and initiatives]
The key FACTUAL questions that your communication strategy need to address
- What are the objectives?
- What are the key messages?
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What information will be communicated?
- When will information be disseminated, and what are the relevant timings?
- How much information will be provided, and to what level of detail?
- What mechanisms will be used to disseminate information?
- How will feedback be encouraged?
- What will be done as a result of feedback?
The key EMOTIONAL questions that your communication strategy need to address
In terms of the emotional resonance aspect of the communications, John Kotter makes the point that great change leaders are great at telling visual stories with high emotional impact. Kotter illustrates this the anecdote of Martin Luther King who did not stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I have a great strategy" and illustrate it with 10 good reasons why it was a good strategy. He said those immortal words: "I have a dream," and then he proceeded to show the people what his dream was - he illustrated his picture of the future and did so in a way that had high emotional impact.
William Bridges focuses on the emotional and psychological impact and aspect of the change - and poses these 3 simple questions:
(1) What is changing? Bridges offers the following guidance - the change leader's communication statement must:
- Clearly express the change leader's understanding and intention
- Link the change to the drivers that make it necessary
- "Sell the problem before you try to sell the solution."
- Not use jargon
- Be under 60 seconds in duration
(2) What will actually be different because of the change? Bridges says: "I go into organizations where a change initiative is well underway, and I ask what will be different when the change is done-and no one can answer the question... a change may seem very important and very real to the leader, but to the people who have to make it work it seems quite abstract and vague until actual differences that it will make begin to become clear... the drive to get those differences clear should be an important priority on the planners' list of things to do."
(3) Who's going to lose what? Bridges maintains that the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions of the people impacted by the change. Transition management is all about seeing the situation through the eyes of the other guy. It is a perspective based on empathy. It is management and communication process that recognises and affirms people's realities and works with them to bring them through the transition. Failure to do this, on the part of change leaders, and a denial of the losses and "lettings go" that people are faced with, sows the seeds of mistrust.
5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy
So, in summary the 5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy are as follows:
- Clarity of message - to ensure relevance and recognition
- Resonance of message - the emotional tone and delivery of the message
- Accurate targeting - to reach the right people with the right message
- Timing schedule - to achieve timely targeting of messages
- Feedback process - to ensure genuine two way communication
Failure reasons in change management are many and varied. But one thing is painfully clear. Any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged.
The root cause of all this failure is lack of clarity and a lack of communication. This is what a Programme Management based approach to change is all about and why it so important.
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