T. A. Cook Consultants
Confronted with today’s highly competitive and turbulent business environment, organizations must continuously transform themselves and aspire to be more agile in order to rapidly embrace and adapt to change. While project management focuses on implementing or installing new business initiatives, processes and technical systems, change management focuses on affected employees embracing or adopting these changes. Although projects may be completed ahead of schedule and under budget with the best quality, to truly attain the desired outcome, employees must be fully committed to these changes and willing to learn, adopt and sustain the new required behavior. This article presents a variety of proactive frontend loading (FEL) approaches to enhance the project’s speed of adoption, ultimate utilization and proficiency.
• Gateway 1: Strategize for change.
A change management strategy formally defines the objectives, scope, areas/ employees impacted, complexity, specific timeframe and desired outcomes of the impending initiative. This includes identifying the resources required for the team and explaining specific roles and responsibilities. A thorough risk assessment should be performed on the organization’s readiness to implement the impending changes along with the anticipated resistance. Change agility demands a strategy that identifies the customized change management activities and tactics required to mitigate these risks and overcome the anticipated resistance. The objective is to maximize the speed to achieve the desired outcome, while minimizing potential risks, resistance, inefficiencies, duplicated efforts, and any disruptions to present operations or concurrent change initiatives.
• Gateway 2: Craft a communication plan. Persuasively communicating the need for change is one of the most challenging and imperative hurdles to clear for any initiative. The affected employees must be aware of and understand the nature of the change, why they are needed and the potential risks of remaining stagnant. Since everyone reacts differently, change occurs at the individual level. Thus, it’s paramount to thoroughly know the team and deliver targeted messages using multiple channels (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, newsletters and social media). A timely, accurate and credible multifaceted communication plan acts as the basis to proactively build awareness, influence buy-in, counteract any resistance and help address the primary questions affected employees will be asking: What’s in it for me? How will this change impact me? What will success look like? It is also very important to communicate what is not changing, giving employees a “zone of stability.”
• Gateway 3: Develop a training plan. A comprehensive training plan will explain the behaviors, skills, knowledge and qualities expected of those who will be using the “new system” on a daily basis. To develop this, current competencies should be analyzed first to identify the gaps between the current and desired abilities. Armed with this information, a practical and problem- centered approach using actual site examples can be developed and paired with continuous coaching to reinforce the change. This plan should not only identify the frequency, vehicles for training and delivery means but also determine any in-house learning aids such as manuals, procedures, checklists and one-point lessons to assist in the training process.
• Gateway 4: Lead the change. The middle managers and frontline supervisors are the primary communicators and coaches of the change initiative. They lead employees through the change process, address any barriers that may impede success, and enhance or derail the validity of any upcoming modifications. They are not simply “messengers” communicating what’s been mandated from the executives and senior managers. It is crucial they are fully prepared, engaged and personally committed to the project.
Successfully navigating uncharted waters demands meticulous planning and preparation. Utilizing a proactive FEL approach to define and execute a successful change management strategy can strengthen an organization’s ability to reach its intended destination without running aground.
For more information, visit www.Tacook.com or call (919) 510-8142.
