Change management is the process of leading people through times of organizational change. It’s about making them aware of what’s happening, and why. It’s about preparing them for new circumstances and giving them the resources and capabilities to deal with them. It’s also about observing the effects of the changes and making sure your people are comfortable enough to continue doing their work – or potentially improve their performance.
The Five Steps of Change Management
This isn’t gospel; you don’t have to follow every step exactly. But missing out on them might lead you to miss opportunities to make your change project a really successful one.
Remember: to make these change management techniques work, you’re going to have to collaborate. Talk about them, be honest, and write everything down as you go. Map things out visually so everyone can see the big picture.
1 ) Understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of change
At the beginning, you should seek to understand what’s happening, and why. This means asking questions and being honest with yourself about the answers.
It starts at the start: why is change happening in the first place? Maybe you’re reacting to outside market conditions. Maybe your office environment has become stale and it’s time to move elsewhere. Or maybe you have a new company goal that requires everyone to do things differently.
2 ) Make your plan for change
Once you’ve answered the big questions, and have decided to go ahead with your change project, it’s time to define how you’re going to do it.
Change planning combines the technical aspects of the change – what tangible aspects of business are going to undergo a transformation? – and its expected impacts on your people.
Looks like really useful info, eh? Just click HERE to find out more! If you’d like to share perspectives or discuss how it relates to your business, email me at mjones@simplyleadcoaching.com.