Operational Definition of Change Management

"Effectively transforming organizations to pursue new directions, goals, or structures."  Other words that speak to effective change are 'evolve, innovate, vision, power'.

General Comments

• Change requires vision at the individual level.  What is in it for them?
• Change impacts culture.  Culture impacts change.  Culture includes the organization's attitude, support, and shared ownership of strategic objectives.
• Successful change requires developing knowledge and competencies.  People will resist going to a place where they do not think they will succeed or do not have the skills to succeed.
• The rewards and measures of an organization must align with the desired changes.  You cannot expect change to take root if the incentives are grounded in the past.
• Change may seem very necessary from a logical side.  However, people often embrace change for emotional reasons.
• The organizations structure will influence the effectiveness of change.  Autocratic, hierarchical structures can produce short term results but will struggle over the longer term.
• Why is change management needed as a discipline?  It wasn't required 50 years ago.  The pace and urgency of change has accelerated.  It is now impossible for the executive or leadership team to define and describe all the activities required by the employees.  The employees must be in a position to think and invent.  To contribute, they must feel vested.
• There appears to be a tension between the 'churn' of change (change for change's sake) and the need for quality.  Quality, typically, requires repeatable practices and processes that can be refined.
• Change requires leadership stamina.  Change will face detractors and cynics.
• Change management must be assessed in light of the organizational impact and horizons of time.  You must pick the right battles and follow through. 
• Communication effectiveness is a key component to change management.  It is not achieved via a single method but occurs in a number of ways at different times.
• For change to succeed there must be sufficient motivation.  Why?
• Successful change requires a shared sense of urgency by the people.  How do you do that?
• There is usually a gap between people's intentions and their impact.  We want to assess ourselves based on our intentions.  We want to assess others based on their impact.
• Change is both a passive and a proactive phenomenon.  At times, the need to change is thrust upon our organizations.  Conversely, change can be of our choosing.  This is connected to time horizons.  All businesses face breakdowns.  The question is whether you can anticipate the breakdowns prior to them forcing you to change.  Those that can gain competitive advantage.
• Be humble.  Be willing to learn from others.  Visit other organizations and learn from their successes and failures before you embark.
• Be careful that the 'tail does not wag the dog'.  Meaning, be careful that the driver of change is not technology but rather a business imperative.  Technology is the tool, the enabler.

Critical Success Factors

• Clearly define the expected outcomes.  What do you want?  Is it measurable?
• Conduct a readiness assessment.  Is the organization ready for the change?  The people?  The tools?  The business processes?  The culture?  The politics?
• All change agents must exhibit strong leadership and openness.  The commitment to change must be followed with an openness to learn.
• Use technology as an enabler for change not the reason for change.
• Recognize that successful change is a people process.  People are the key.
• Develop and implement an effective communication strategy.

http://ccs.mit.edu/papers/CCSWP189/ccswp189.html#1

Additionally, the above web link has a software app to download.

Dwight Pond

Sr. Account Manager

CRI Advantage- "Business Driven Technology Solutions"

208-287-4125 direct to desk

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dpond@criadvantage.com

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