Best Change Mechanisms
When going through major transformation it is important to simplify the effort as much as possible, Cropley says. Just like eating an elephant, the required change may look enormous, but is best handled by tackling the task one bite at a time.
The simple fact is, Cropley says, that most people cannot get their heads around too many variables in change. They look for clarity and a well signposted path forward. That makes developing a good change communication plan essential, not to mention a good stakeholder analysis and as many opportunities to engage people as possible.
“Transformations appear to produce the best results when executives mobilise organisational energy and communicate their objectives in a clear, comprehensive, and engaging way,” Cropley says.
“I also find that communication varies depending on the phase of the change. Early in the change, communication is more about listening and acknowledging. Then it is more about vision and direction and simple messages repeated to ensure understanding. As you move through change then it becomes more about comprehensive communication and ways to involve people. Finally, you need to celebrate and reward success,” he says.
Gartner points out low confidence in their organisations’ ability to drive and manage change puts pressure on business and IT leaders as they strive to meet enterprise objectives.
When the research group polled attendees at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2008 Emerging Trends in April in Las Vegas, more than two thirds disagreed with the statement: “My company is well-positioned to anticipate and manage the changes accompanying business transformation.” Only 30 per cent agreed with the statement “I am confident that we have successfully designed our roles, workforce competencies and skills to support the future state.”
And when asked: “If you were to grade your communication program as you prepare for large-scale change, how would you grade it?”, only 9 per cent graded their communication program A for excellent. In contrast, 30 per cent graded their communication B for OK, 32 per cent C for weak, 25 per cent D for poor, and four per cent F for failure.
The research organisation believes it’s not enough to cultivate competence in strategic change management only in individuals; rather it must be institutionalised in order for it to be integrated into business initiatives consistently and reliably. It offers four recommendations:
• Identify the people, programs and templates that represent the best people and tools for enterprise change management.
• Consolidate accountability for widespread organisational change in a team of seasoned program managers who represent excellence in organisational change.
• Map out the elements, objectives and interdependencies of change by process, workflow, information flow, roles and skills. Look especially for people and processes that will facilitate change (and conversely, those that will impede it).
• Prepare to devote 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the time, attention and budgets accorded to large-scale business initiatives to strategic change leadership and management.
As Gartner says, change is personal, so engaging people directly in change can make the difference between success and failure.
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