Change Management and How to Survive it!

                     by  Ben Boldt – Founder and Lead Consultant – Visionary Solution Resources, Inc. 

What is Change Management?

Change Management can be defined as a structured process through which change within an organization is accomplished.  Change is inevitable and will effect each organization in different ways.   The never-ending need to change puts organizations into one of two categories - the few that have mastered the “process of change” and the ones that haven’t or won’t.

The “changers”, know change is part of their life.  They actually seek out ways to improve their operating processes and better serve their customers.  Change to them is integrated into their daily activities and plans for success.

The “non-changers” - those that haven’t – or won’t – change, seem to believe their organization is as good as it can be.  Competitors will not overtake them. Customers will always need them.  Margins will always be good enough.  Unfortunately, just as glaciers melt and mountains erode, the “non-changers” will eventually be overtaken and cease to exist. 

Change is not a choice! It is mandatory!  Recognizing that a change management process is an essential element of “management” will help ensure an organization’s survival and lasting success.

The reasons for change vary widely –

A major change in an industry’s structure can adversely affect the financial performance of the companies in it – i.e. Autos and Airlines.  The ability to survive in such industrial upheaval will require significant change and require a well defined and executed “change management process”.

The implementation of a new information system will require changes in most business process and employee activities.  To successfully accomplish the transition to a new system will require – change management. 

Perhaps your customer’s needs and expectations of their suppliers and service providers are changing.  Can your company continue to meet their “new” expectations without changing yourself? Unlikely! 

Having a sound understanding of what is driving your need to change will move you and your team ahead in the managing the change process. 

Since change is inevitable, here are a few thoughts to incorporate into your “upcoming” change management challenge –  

Ø      You have to end before you begin.

Simply stated, to embrace a new mission, or role, or value system, you have to “let go” of the old one first. Such endings need to be managed. The ability to demonstrate why change is required and what will happen if changes aren’t made will provide support for leaving the “old” and achieving the “new”. 

To support this first step, a clear, detailed and compelling vision needs to be created to communicate the need for the proposed changes.  It is important to understand that the proposed change is either “responsive” known information – declining customer base – or “proactive” – proposed change effecting your industry. The vision will need to be based on “facts” if responsive and “potential” outcomes if “proactive”.

Ø      You will need to define and make clear the “desired outcome” for the change.

Changes that are made without specific goals being set are “not managed” and will not meet expectations – because there aren’t any expectations!  The ability to create and quantify the “metrics” of the new future will make it real. 

And, YES, there will be risks involved.  The “desired outcome and metrics” may change along the way, but the need for change will not. 

As “Anonymous” has said,  “All human progress, like baseball, involves a certain amount of risk.  But, you can’t steal second while keeping one foot on first.”

Ø      A gap will be created between the ending of the Old and accomplishing the New

The realty is that it will take some time to adjust from the old to the new ways.

Getting “stuck” in the “gap” is dangerous as old thinking will frequently re-surface – familiarity is comfortable – and the new ways lost before they begin.

Getting people through the gap takes leadership.  Reporting on results – with data – from the effort committed to change will establish its importance and show the gap is being closed.

Ø      Use the Gap to encourage creative decisions and actions

Encourage people to address issues in NEW and creative ways. This takes on the theme of “If it ain’t broken – break it!”  New directions demand NEW thinking, so why not do things differently.  To have new creativity materialize – and sustain itself – it must be cultivated and legitimized.

Ø      Recognize a life event is occurring within the organization

Embracing the new order requires the ending of the old order – a death so to speak.  The new chapter cannot begin to be written until the old chapter is closed.

People will deal with “change” better if they understand this.  Strong leadership and persistence is required to help them do this. Communicate the accomplishment of the new and encourage the abandonment of the old.

Ø      Use change as a source of renewal

The transition from the old to the new can release enormous energy under the proper guidance.  The tendency will be to return to the comfort of the old ways, the challenge and reward is helping the people find the new and better ways.  Constant re-enforcement will be necessary.  Asking and answering the question – “What are we trying to do?” will help rationalize and communicate the need for change.

Ø      People go through change at different speeds

While every person will go through the same phases of change, they will not all do it at the same speed.  This doesn’t make the slow changers bad or the fast changers good. It is just a fact of life.  Understanding where people are in the change process is necessary. Meet with them in groups and individually to assess their position.  Communicating with them that you understand where they are and that you are available to help them through the process is essential.

Ø      With stress the New is harder than the Old

Under stress people reach out for what they are most comfortable with – the OLD WAYS!  Should that occur, steps must to be taken to reinforce the need for change and support each persons challenge to leave their comfort zone and move into the new land.  As the use of Old ways increases, the harder and harder it will be to move people of embrace the New ways. 

Creating a vivid illustration for the people involved frequently helps in this process.

For example, the idea of a journey – “we have gotten into our boats, we have crossed very troubled waters and have now landed on the shore of a new land.

We have burned our boats – there is NO going back! So, lets work together to create better ways in the new land so that we may survive and prosper.”

This is also the time to recognize that “one should not take NO for an answer, when one knows, NO is not the right answer!”

Ø      Plan your work; Work your plan!

Managing change is a process similar to managing any project.  One needs to know where they start, what needs to be achieved, the resources assigned and the time line to “get it done”.

The big difference is that managing change in an organization affects the lives of many people and most people don’t embrace change very well.  It is always intriguing to observe that the same people who can successfully manage their way through a very complex and demanding project, requiring flexibility and change, may themselves not want to change. 

There is no sadder or more frequent obituary to the change management process than – “but we have always done it this way!”

And remember –

A vision without a task, is but a dream; A task without a vision is but drudgery; But a vision and a task together, are the hope of the world. 

Sussex England church circa 1700.

I hope this material has been of interest and will help you better manage change and improve performance.  If you have questions or would be interested in discussing how our services will help you and your organization contact me at 1 866 286 8713 or complete this contact form and I will call you …… Ben Boldt

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