::Change Management – moving from good intension to excellent results::

All of us desire to see improvement in our lives and in our society. In our workplaces, the pace of change is accelerating.  This can often bring about major enhancements to our lives. Many changes, from email to cell phones, from employee empowerment to Lean Six Sigma, have altered our workplaces dramatically, and forever. Managing change, and managing it well, is becoming one of the most critical competencies for any organization.

And yet, while many organizations are increasingly exposing their employees to change, they are not teaching their managers, Project managers and teams how to effectively manage the "people" side of change. We all have good intentions for managing change well, but sometimes our results fall short.

This session will discuss why change management needs to be a key competency for you and your organization, and will share some tips regarding how to improve the practice of change management in your work.

The first question to ask yourself is; ‘What do I believe Change Management is?’

Many focus only on the process when they define their understanding of change management. Here is my understanding – the process, tools and techniques to manage the people-side of change to achieve the required business outcome(s).

Change management isn’t just about communicating the change process or managing the technical side of the process. There are few points below describing what are the basic things to do to ensure that your change plan isn’t just activities but will produce expected results or more.

Key point 1: To move from good intentions to good results, we have to realize that effective change management is more than just a few pieces of communication. In other words, communication is a foundation to change process. Every member of the team must be on the same page as the champion of the change. Has a business owner, who wants to take the business to the next level, you need your team to fully understand and agree to the set goals.

Effective change management requires that beyond communicating the vision, you need to ensure understanding and by-in.

Key point 2: To move from good intentions to good results, we have to realize that we (the “changers”) may be “living” in the future state, while everyone else (“the changees”) is living in the present. This is the force that propels the change to be successful. We must all see the future before we go ahead. Once this can be achieved, you are the path to success.

Your team will definitely give you the drive to do it right. Each and every member of the team will be motivators of others and themselves.

Key point 3: To move beyond good intentions, effective change management MUST be focused on helping individuals change. Picture this, assuming you want to drive to work on a Monday morning and you discover that one of your tiers is deflated. Do you refuse to change it because you still 3 left which are in good other? My guess is NO! It is important that to have a great day or even get out of the house you need to change the bad tire.

Hence, when you have a member in the team who doesn’t fully understand the change or isn’t ready to go all the way. It is advisable to let him/her go. A lean team with full understand and clear vision is more likely to succeed to a robust non-motivated team.

Key point 4: Individual change is a process. The value of change in a team cannot be achieved without individuals first finding their path in the team’s vision and begin to change from inside-out. A team where individuals do not see a need for them to change, how will they change the culture or system of the team? It will be hard work with no result.

Key point 5:  To move beyond good intentions, we need to select and use the tools available to us. Every team requires adequate and function work tools that will be used to carry out the change process. Every team member needs to be part of the selection of tools to be used.

Individual experiences can be a vital tool to the success expected from the set changes. It is important to involve everyone even in tools selection.

Key point 6: To move beyond good intentions, we need the right people involved and engaged in the right ways. This is one of the most critical aspects of change that you cannot afford to mix up. People are very dynamic. You need to ensure that each person is doing what they have strength and competency in doing.

This is the only way you maximise the performance of the team. If you need help on this you might need to consult others or tools that can help determine the strength of your team members.

Key point 7:  Begin with end in mind. Measure the “right” things for this change, at the organizational level and the individual level.

No farmer goes to the farm for seed sowing without harvest in mind. Be clear about what you want to achieve with the change and taken points 1 – 6 seriously, you are sure of successful change results in your team.