Managing Change

Managing change

Introduction

The change management process has been reduced to six steps. There is no start and end to this process and it may happen that you revisit steps 1-6 more than once. See fig 1 is drawn in a continuum and must not be seen as a linear process. This model draws together a number of key ingredients of successful change management with a proposal of sequence of activities.

Six step model emphasis on the process value and challenges of each stage

Fig 1 Six step model of change

Step 1 Establish a sense of urgency

1.1 Process

Some organisations are better at scanning and reacting to external events and opportunities than others.

If the organisation experience any of the triggers as explained in Table 1 you have identified the need to change!

So what determines how an organisation responds to pressure of change and how is this translated effectively into a change strategy. A typical trigger is exposure to some kind of business performance gap. If this has been identified then the organisation should reassess the quality of service and its product in the market.

It depends on how the organisation interprets the identified gaps and streamlines the various internal driving forces for change that determines the effectiveness of the change strategy. Some steps in the process include the following

• Change projects and predicted skill requirements are linked to existing business planning processes. This means that the change project are more likely to receive attention and resources from a senior level.

• The need for investment is articulated in language that will be persuasive to unfamiliar with the focus of the change. This may mean assembling a financial case of lost opportunity, marketing edge or innovative capability, I the human change project is not resourced adequately.

• The pay off of past changer projects are pointed out in business terms if available and benchmarked of competitor performance are cited...