The tough reality is most change initiatives fail – as much as. I talk about change management a lot, and often begin conversations with this fact. Invariably, I get a mix of head nodding and disbelief.
Additionally, more people than ever want to jump in and “do” change management. The reality is that change management professionals need education, experience, and a definite personality type to want to do this for a living. I’d also point out that the simplistic idea that we can throw templates at someone who has some bandwidth is risky at best, as is bombarding the recipients of change with too many communications.
As a renter, when things went wrong, you called the landlord. Now that the house is yours, there’s only you to decide how to get things done. There are skills you may need to develop in your new home, like how to fix simple things like tightening the loose faucet head or learning to hang blinds in the windows.
Another frequent question is, “What methodology should we use to implement a change management program?” Countless methodologies exist, and while we do have our own, what I know from having helped hundreds of companies with the “people” side of their transformation is this:There needs to be ample training. Communications should be smart and direct. Risks need to be identified and strategies put in place to avoid poor user adoption.
Beyond data, the most impactful way of ensuring the success of a change management program lies not on a date or an event, but in a continuous journey focused on the people side of any transformation, and is in essenceBusinesses experiencing the highest level of success after a major transformation do three things well.