McKinsey has been conducting surveys for years to examine the success rate of planned changes. They have learned repeatedly that 75% of organizations fail in this task.
The only good news is that most change initiatives fizzle out within about two months. At least, if it doesn't succeed, they save time and effort.
It's commonly said that change management = communication.
We've learned to communicate, so why is change management so complex, and what needs to be done to avoid becoming the statistic of "another failed change"?
Starting the Change
In their book Switch, the Heath brothers say that initiating a new change is like lifting an elephant from its resting place and making it walk. Imagine an elephant in front of you, sitting, still much larger than you. You approach its back and try to make it stand up, pushing, hitting, trying every tactic. It would help if you had an expert.
John Kotter, a well-known leader and expert in change management, researched this issue. He examined the 500 leading companies in the United States, implementing his eight-step methodology, to understand where they "get stuck." Surprisingly, it turns out, they get stuck the most in the... first stage: creating a sense of urgency (see book summary: A Sense of Urgency). That is, the organization analyzed the need, understood that change was required, and even defined what it was, and therefore made a decision: We're changing. They even define who leads the process. So what's the problem? The organization is busy with ongoing tasks. And the ongoing tasks - sweep you away. Therefore, it's very easy to say, again and again: The change is desirable - but since there are urgent matters to deal with now, we'll postpone it until tomorrow.
Starting a change management process requires more energy than the process itself. Like in old manual cars, which required a dedicated starter to initialize the engine. To initiate change management, three components are needed:
Shaking the status quo. We're all busy with work and changes, And we protect ourselves from more changes. Lewin taught us that to initiate; we need to UNFREEZE, that is, to make the existing shake so we can contain the new change and be ready for it.
WIIFM (What's In It For Me). Benefits for the main groups that are supposed to change.
Creating an appropriate sense of urgency.
But this is just the beginning.
Although the field is called "change management," there's another important word here—process. Change management is not a sprint but a marathon; it would be appropriate to call the activity "managing the change process."
Managing the Change Process
We've initiated the change process. What's next?
Change management refers to changing habits in our behavioral and operational processes or changes in our ways of thinking. No matter how successful, more than initiation is needed to complete the mission.
I belong to the school of thought that there is no methodology for managing this stage. Instead, there is a collection of tools that can help, and several models can guide the choice of the appropriate tool for each population at each point in time.
At ROM, we use the ADKAR model developed by Jeff Hiatt. This model details the factors hindering change:
Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.
How do we use the model?
Define key target audiences for change.
For each target audience: define a goal - what we want to achieve concerning them at the end of the change.
For example - employees who will consume information, subject matter experts who will contribute information, and managers who will encourage everyone in their role.
For each target audience, defined in relation to the current point in time (and perhaps also expected future ones), analyze the hindering factors for change according to the ADKAR model.
For example, employees may lack awareness and desire, and subject matter experts may lack ability and reinforcement.
Map the available communication channels in the organization (yes - change management is related to communication).
Build a work plan that includes communication activities concerning the hindering factors.
The work plan will include ongoing activities (such as a Support channel) and Peak activities (such as a competition or a monthly newsletter).
What other tools do we include in the toolkit?
Tools from Thaler (see book summary Nudge), from the Heath brothers (see book summary Switch), and of course from Hiatt (see book summary Change Management).
For example - you can take the idea of environment design and create links to use the knowledge management system in the operational processes and systems where they are already present;
You can take the idea of pressure resulting from a sense of competition and publish progress once a week, ranking the position of each unit in descending order;
You can take the default option idea and invite people to activities, with the option not to respond instead of asking initially if they're interested. There are many tools, and they can all contribute, each to a small additional advancement of change management implementation.
That's it. If there are tools and a thoughtful work plan for using them, you can work. Start implementing while monitoring, controlling, and readjusting the plan to progress.
Endings
An ending is a desirable milestone. Why endings?
Change management can be a long process of 3-6 months (depending on the nature of the change, its scope, and the hindering factors). People can get tired. Even those working to lead it. Endings serve as stopping points for recognition, appreciation, and even - celebration.
We mark achievements, stop, receive positive reinforcements, and gain energy to continue.
You can also include publicity that will intrigue and encourage the following groups to join (if it's a gradual organizational change) and make their integration easier.
Summary
So far – it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Change management is a complete doctrine.
But suppose you create a thoughtful work plan, considering the various partners, hindering factors, communication channels, tools, and the most appropriate content at each stage. In that case, you can turn change into reality.
Feel free to try.
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