Definition of Change Management. Change management is an overall approach which involves dealing with the entire transformation or transition of internal organizational objectives, core values, procedures or technology. The overall objective of each organizational change management effort is to effectively implement plans and techniques for influencing change and assisting effective transitions in achieving desired results. Change Management is more than just implementing change or responding to change; it is also about sustaining change throughout its life cycle i.e. achieving long-term sustainable performance.
Change Management includes five main roles and a series of processes designed to support change. The first and primary role of change management is to provide an explanation to employees, customers and stakeholders of the organizational current state, including what is required of them and what will be required of them in the future. This will provide the foundation for providing information to them on what to expect in terms of their career path and what is expected of them as an individual contributing to the organizational future state. The second role of change management is to provide a benchmarking or realistic feedback on the performance of employees, whether or not they are meeting organizational objectives, which will then form the basis for measuring progress and evaluating plans and initiatives.
Change Management focuses on two major drivers of organizational change: enhancing the productivity of employees and transforming organizations. For any organization to be successful at changing its internal structure, procedures, technology, and ultimately its behavior, it must first enhance the productivity of its individual employees. Productivity improvements can take many forms: new equipment, more efficient working procedures, more challenging assignments, new ways of doing things, etc. An organization can achieve significant productivity improvements through several means: introducing new technologies, training and hiring new people, etc. These methods can be combined in order to create a system which is able to effect changes in the behavior of employees and in turn, the organization as a whole.
Transformational change management is used to facilitate this effort by ensuring that changes in the internal and external environment do not negatively affect the productivity of individual employees before, during, and even after the implementation of the organization's strategic plans. Change Management involves two major components: planning and execution. The planning portion lays down the vision and mission of the organization, strategies for transformation, and the assessment of the organization's future states. It also involves developing a charter that defines the roles and responsibilities of all personnel in the organization, setting up the staff structure and allocation of resources, and identifying the roles and responsibilities of each department and of the whole organization as a whole.
Change Management requires flexible standards. Best practices are used to monitor implementation, testing, and evaluations. It is also possible to use the Best Practices guidelines in order to make sure that the organizational change management plan is adhered to strictly. A set of rules or Best Practices guidelines is called for in every organization that hopes to maintain or improve its productivity.
One major benefit of Change Management is that it helps you make an impact. Since you have the backing of an established process, you can be certain that your efforts will be well received and your goals will be met. There are several common examples of how Change Management has helped individuals and companies improve their performance. These include efforts to improve customer service, preventing employee theft, developing more effective and efficient working environments, handling sexual harassment issues, and more. The techniques that work best for a given situation are primarily determined by the type of organization, as well as by the type of employee that is responsible for managing the change.
One of the most important things to note about change management is that the techniques vary widely between situations. There are common examples, however, such as identifying the status quo, instituting a series of corrective measures, creating policies to manage changes within organizations, and creating Best Practices guidelines. Best Practices are generally recommended as the first step in any organizational change management plan. Some other common examples of strategies used include implementation of an emergency procedure, creating compensation or benefits that better suit the needs of the employees, and making communication and feedback more frequent.
If your company has implemented Change Management, chances are that you've also implemented some type of employee training program. In the past, employee training was seen as an extraneous expense. However, if you're looking to save money on implementing change management, this can be an easy way to go. The same techniques that are taught in most training programs are also effective when used to monitor performance and to make adjustments where needed. Implementing a training program is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your employees understand the procedures involved and that they are comfortable implementing them on the job.
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