Change Management
Change Management Objectives
• Become skilled at change management and the necessary elements for successful change
management.
• Identify the stages of change that people and organization’s encounter.
• Discover the reasons people resist change and strategies for overcoming resistance.
• Learn tactics to minimize negative change impacts by using the change curve model.
Change Management is…
• It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s…
• A verb – “Our focus needs to be on how to change this business process.”
• A noun – “Change management is a key process on our projects.”
• An adjective – “I have been developing my change management skills.”
Change Management is…
“An approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations to a desired future state. It can also refer to a project management process wherein changes to a
project are formally introduced and approved.”
Source: Wikipedia
In Simple Terms…
• Change management simply means…moving people from the current state to a desired future state.
• Transitioning from “as-is” to “to-be”.
Necessary Elements for Successful
Change Management
• Support • Buy-in • Participation • Impact Analysis • Communication • Readiness AssessmentKurt Lewin’s Change Management
Model
Background for Stage 1 – Unfreeze
• Prepare people for why the change is needed.
• Communicate consistently why the change is necessary. • Challenge the status quo and the “way we do things
around here” which is a difficult step for many.
• Realize people could react strongly and there will be a level of uncertainty – depending upon how much change is involved.
Stage 1 – How to Unfreeze
• Identify what has to change. • Analyze the current state and
why change is necessary.
• Gain buy-in from senior management. • Perform stakeholder identification
and stakeholder analysis.
• Define why change is needed. • Communicate the change vision.
• Attend to issues and concerns of employees related to the change.
Background for Stage 2 – Change
• Transition from unfreeze to change takes time. • Uncertainty will start to be resolved.
• Support and commitment are achieved.
• People will begin to participate in the change.
• Explain WIIFM for stakeholders regarding the change. • Communicate consistently throughout this transition
phase.
• Change involves a big time commitment and hands-on management.
Stage 2 – How to Change
• Communicate throughout the change lifecycle the benefits and impact to employees.
• Address gossip and rumors with transparency and honesty.
• Encourage people to get involved and consistently provide direction.
• Identify short-term milestones to show success.
• Remember to include internal and external stakeholders during this stage.
Background for Stage 3 – Refreeze
• Transitioning from “Change” to “Refreeze” involves embracing of the new ways.
• Stabilization and consistencies begin to be realized.
• Internalization and use of changes are accomplished on a daily or routine basis.
• Confidence in the new ways of doing things is achieved. • A foundation is established for the next change initiative. • Success of managing the change is celebrated.
Stage 3 – How to Refreeze
• Entrench changes in the workplace. • Maintain support of the change and
overcome roadblocks for sustaining the change.
• Reward supporters of the change.
• Modify organizational structure and job descriptions as needed.
• Train and support people on new processes and continue to communicate.
Top 10 Reasons People Resist
Change*
1. Loss of control 2. Excess uncertainty 3. Surprise, surprise! 4. Everything seems different 5. Loss of face 6. Concerns about competence 7. More work 8. Ripple effects 9. Past resentments10. Sometimes the threat is real
* Adapted from HBR Blog Network by Rosabeth Moss Kanter posted on September 25, 2012.
1. Loss of Control
Protecting your turf and needing control over your territory.
Strategies:
• Leave room for choices • Include people in planning
2. Excess Uncertainty
Avoiding the unknown and not getting out of your comfort zone.
Strategies:
• Communicate the vision for the change • Create confidence in the change
management initiative • Ensure understanding
3. Surprise, Surprise!
Having a change inflicted on you suddenly, without warning or preparation.
Strategies:
• Keep changes in the open • Try to void secrets
• If secrets are necessary, provide clues of what is going to happen
4. Everything Seems Different
Feeling uncomfortable due to changes that take you out of your habits and routines.
Strategies:
– Limit the number of changes introduced at one time
– Provide some familiarity
5. Loss of Face
Becoming defensive if a change didn’t work and it is now being replaced.
Strategies:
• Sustain people’s self-esteem by respecting elements of previous initiatives
• Help people understand the need to evolve
6. Concerns About Competence
Resisting change when you feel unintelligent or fear the change will fail.
Strategies:
• Communicate clearly about the change • Provide training and support
• Help people see they can do it
• Consider running the two processes concurrently to aid in the transition
7. More Work
Feeling overloaded, especially if things go wrong in managing the change.
Strategies:
• Have some of the team solely focus on the change
• Use rewards and recognition for team members
• Reward others who made sacrifices to make the change happen
8. Ripple Effects
Feeling the ripples of change through work disturbances rebelling against the change.
Strategies:
• Perform stakeholder identification • Perform stakeholder analysis
• Conduct impact analysis to identify how to minimize disruptions
9. Past Resentments
Having a difficult time letting go of the past and of history.
Strategies:
• Respect the past and memories of team members
• Check if any repairs need to take
10. Sometimes the Threat is Real
Resisting change when you know there will be downsizings, losses, or replacements.
Strategies:
• Be fair
• Tell the truth • Be transparent
Change Curve Model*
* Most people attribute the Change Curve Model to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and her work with the grieving process.
Minimizing Negative Change
Impacts
Stage 1
• Provide information for understanding.
• Share how to get help regarding reactions to the change. • Communicate frequently with those impacted.
• Share where to get information. • Answer all questions.
Stage 2
• People may resist either actively or passively.
• Allow for feelings, anger, and concerns to be stated. • Poor management of this stage leads to chaos.
• Prepare for this stage by performing impact analysis. • Determine mitigation strategies.
Stage 3
• Turning point for change management from chaos to success.
• Support people in the need to test and explore how they will be impacted by the change.
• Provide training and support, if necessary.
• Allow time for acceptance and some lack of productivity until adjustments to the change occur.
Stage 4
• Changes will become comfortable.
• People will see improvements for processes.
• Benefits will be realized (e.g., productivity, efficiency, ROI, etc.).
• Celebrate successes so people begin to see change can be good.
Summary: Change Management
• The key elements of change management are essential for successfully handling transitions.
• The change curve model explains the four stages of change people and organization’s encounter.
• Using strategies to overcome resistance to change makes implementations more successful.
• An impact analysis can be developed to minimize
negative change impacts in alignment with the change curve model.
