Last month on the Change Course podcast I created a 4 part series on getting started in Change Management based on a question I received from a colleague interested in getting into the field. In the previous post, I talked about the basics, the theories, the must have change guides and the fundamentals that you need to get started.
Next I break down the four key things you need to do to be a successful change manager in your new role: 1) Understanding who is leading and who is following: In organizational change, there are two main groups we need to be thinking about. The Leaders in change, and those who are experiencing or receiving the change. Change leaders tend to be the decision-makers, who want the change to happen. They have to work with their colleagues and team members who are going to be experiencing and doing the change in their everyday lives. The difference is that the leaders tend to have a sense of control over the change, while those they are leading do not. If change is happening to you, it can be a difficult experience. Understanding who these groups are and how to work with both perspectives is going to be part of your success. Leaders often thing that their people will understand the change and its benefits immediately. This is often not the case, and your role as a change manager is to help leaders understand how to connect with their teams around the change. 2) The Change Management Plan The change management plan is a tool that is used in the planning stages of change to set the tone and communicate all of the essential information about the change. This plan can start to look a lot like a project management plan and may have components of that as you start to look at implementation, but at the same time, there is so much more to a change management plan. The key things to break down in the plan are: Activities – this will look a lot like a project management plan, but essentially this is a communication tool that will aid you in explaining and documenting all of the activities that you’re planning to do as part of the change. Stakeholders – who is changing, who is not, and what do you need to know about the various groups of stakeholders you need to work with. You’ll want to understand the benefits of change for each group, and the key messages for each group that will break down what needs to change and why. You’ll also want to provide detail to your sponsors, champions and stakeholders on their roles in change and what is expected of them. Change Definition – in as much detail as possible, define the change that is going to take place. Ensure that the change vision is clear and compelling, that the why of the change is understandable, and that the specifics of the change are noted. I outlined a framework that I use in part 1 of this series that is a helpful way to break down the definition of change you’ll need to be successful. Implementation Plans – Go lives, change cutovers and all of the exciting detail that gets you ready for and takes you through the implementation and adoption of change. This will include the training and communications plans that you’ll need to ensure that people are aware of the change in various phases, and ready to implement when the time comes. Measurement – How do you know if the change has been successful? This is where measurement comes in. You’ll need to ensure that you have a way to measure progress against the vision and can communicate if the change is successful or not. 3) Change leadership – leading by example: An essential role of the change manager is helping sponsors and leaders understand their important role in leading by example. So much of leadership relies on strong communication. But the most important thing in change is being able to demonstrate the change and be a visible adopter of the change for the people you’re leading. Sometimes leaders need help to understand how important leading by example is. If they are seen doing the change, their people are more likely to adopt and help make the change successful. 4) Taking care of yourself as a change manager: The work of change can be incredibly difficult and emotionally exhausting. Change is hard for the people that are experiencing it, and it can lead to the expression of many negative emotions. Some of the best projects I worked on still had challenges in this area. Without good stress management and self-care practices, change managers can easily burn out. I find that this happens in the “messy middle” of change projects when the goals and vision is clear, but the progress is still slow and hard. It is important for you, as the change manager to make sure that you’re acting as a leader and focusing on the end goals. At the same time, make sure that you’ve got a good understanding of what you need to do to keep a strong emotional state for yourself, and make sure you’re doing it! For more on this exciting topic, listen to the “For the Newbies” Series on the Change Course Podcast here: https://anchor.fm/change-course
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Last month on the Change Course podcast I created a 4 part series on getting started in Change Management based on a question I received from a colleague interested in getting into the field. The most exciting thing I find, is that the practice of change management is a fairly new one. I come from a background of implementing IT systems in healthcare, and quickly realized that a strong understanding of how people change was essential to my success and to the success of the projects I was working on. I started out by taking a course in change management that covered the basics and history of the field, learned a lot by reading and doing and eventually got certified in specific methodologies and by an international change association. Since I’ve started working in change there has been an explosion in the amount of great content and while you can go back to school and take a course, there are lots of ways to start working on your knowledge and skill set today, that will set you apart as a change leader. 1. The Basics: Change has been around forever, but only formally described in an organizational context since 1950. Lewin started it all with the Freeze, Change and Re-Freeze model and many other thinkers joined in from there. If you want to dive deeper into the models and the theories behind them, check out this episode of the Change Course Podcast, and the show notes where I link to all of the resources. This is a great way to understand the leading theories. When someone says “The Change Curve” you’ll know they’re talking about Kübler-Ross! Change Course Podcast – A Brief History of Change Management 2. The Practical Guides: I have a toolkit of must-have change guides that I refer to daily. What I love about these tools is that they consolidate many of the theories and practices from other authors and put it together with great tools, templates in an easy-to-understand format. My favorites are below: The Effective Change Manager’s Handbook: (Richard Smith, David King, Ranjit Sidhu) This is the official Change Management body of knowledge from the APMG. This is a how-to manual, condensed history, toolkit and guide for everything you need to know in change management. My copy of this book is dog-eared, with notes in the margins and a thousand bookmarks. Making Sense of Change Management – Esther Cameron, Mike Green This book breaks down the essential theories, tools, methodologies and techniques in encyclopedic format. This book helps you get started when you have a limited knowledge of the field and need to get up to speed fast. This is the book I’d recommend for someone who can’t take a course in change management but wants to learn as much as they can in a formal way. Links to these resources at our favorite retailers are included below. 3. The Fundamentals Working in change requires a planned approach. Change doesn’t happen on its own or overnight. It typically takes longer than we think it does! They key to success is understanding the change in as much detail as possible before getting to the essential stages of planning and execution and using great frameworks like Connected Change ™! When I’m coaching new team members, I focus on a few key questions that help us get started: What: What is the change that we are making? Define it in terms of overall goals, the change vision, and what the future state will look like. Define it in terms of minute processes and activities and how they will be different for end users. Use both big picture and small detail thinking to make this come alive. Who: Who is leading the change and who is affected by it? Break down the stakeholder groups into as much detail as possible, and detail how the change will be experienced by each group. You can also start to think about whether these stakeholders will be supportive or resistant to the change. Why/When: This is the essential details that the stakeholders are looking for! Why do we have to change, and what will they get out of it? When will the change be happening and what do the stakeholders need to know? Where: Where is the change happening? Can you describe all of the environments and instances that will be affected by change? Can you name the stakeholder groups that go along with all of the places where the change will be made? How: This is the essential question! HOW will the change happen! This is where you’ll need to think about what the change looks like and how it will happen in as much detail as possible. Understanding these key questions will set you up for success as you embark on the planning and execution of the change. Stay tuned for part 2 where we get into more detail about how to start on a change project and what you’ll need to know! Resources: Change Course Podcast – The Leading Edge If you're considering purchasing any of the resources we mention in the podcast, consider doing so through one of our affiliate links below! You can add to our virtual "tip jar" through a commission from your favorite retailer.
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Natalia LobachArticles, posts, thought pieces, emerging research, podcasts and videos from the founder and principal at Charthouse Advisory Services Archives
November 2022
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