[feat-img-left]Change management is the art and science of managing the transformation and development that is inherent to business processes. It requires the controlled identification and implementation of necessary adjustments, such as succession, staffing, business strategy, and so on. In this series on how you can improve your change management processes, there will be helpful content and advice which can help you differentiate your company from the competition and set strategic goals that lead to long term success.
Today we’re talking about what it takes to plan your change management strategy. Consider these 10 tips when implementing your change management plans.
1. Use a Structured Change Management Methodology
Using a structured change management methodology is one of the best ways to plan for successful change. In fact, businesses that follow a structured methodology shared that the methodology itself is one of the most important factors in success and an overall effective change process.2. Customize Your Plans
There’s no such thing as an effective “one-size-fits-all” approach to change management. Your strategy must be customized to fit the unique needs of the situation, the characteristics of the change itself, and the history and culture of the organization as well.3. Model the Individual Experience
While change management must be taken on with the goal of an organizational strategy, don’t forget to consider the individual experience as well. Successful organizational change can only occur when each individual impacted by the change goes through their own personal transition.4. Find Sponsorship for Your Change Management
Sponsorship, or the active and visible participation of the leaders who are behind the change, is repeatedly cited as the number one contributor to change success. Without that visible leadership on behalf of the company, and the transition itself, employees often feel lost or disinterested in contributing to the shift.5. Prepare your Sponsors Appropriately
Obviously, the chosen sponsors for a specific change management plan should have the resources they need in order to provide the leadership necessary to drive success.6. Develop an Effective Communication Plan
Effective change management depends heavily on good communication. But just initiating a communication plan ad hoc is not an effective way to manage the shift. Decide what, how, when and by whom the key messages should be communicated to ensure the audience understands and internalizes the message.7. Engage Managers and Supervisors
Managers and supervisors should play an important role in both communicating and implementing your plan. They are often the preferred messengers for changes that impact employees personally.8. Have Both Proactive and Reactive Resistance Management Strategies
Often change will receive a certain amount of resistance or push back in an organizational structure. It’s important to have both a proactive and reactive plan in place should resistance become a concern.9. Gather Feedback and Measure Change Adoption
Remain open to receiving feedback from employees and corporate leadership because that feedback will help you to measure your change-adoption success.10. Reinforce Your Efforts
The success of a change management plan depends on how successful the changes stick. Make sure you reinforce your efforts over time to keep your company on track. For more tips on how to implement a successful change management plan, connect with the team at Clarity Consultants today.
