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Effective Management of Change

Top TipsEveryone is in a different phase
Not everyone will be in the same phase as you. You might be ‘discarding’ and they might be in ‘denial’. Talk to them to find out where they are, and then adapt your communications with them accordingly.

Change takes time
Change often (76% of the time) takes longer than planned. Plan properly, and allow for some slippage to take place. Provided that you Project Manage change then you can keep on top of what is happening and react accordingly with your contingency plans.

Communication is the key
Many people resist change, or actively undermine it, because they do not have a good understanding of what they are supposed to do, and what is happening. Never assume understanding in others just because you have a grasp of things. Communicate often, bad news as well as good, and stress where progress is being made.

Change needs a Change Agent
To be a good Change Agent you need an awareness of people and social issues. Being comfortable with people, able to understand their worries and aspirations as well as being a good listener able to show empathy are vital ingredients.

Don’t be in too much of a hurry
Change takes longer than you think (see above). Because people are in different stages of change, they make take a while to see that change can benefit them, or even that they need to accept change and just move on. Be patient, repeat your message frequently, and there will be gradual but positive progress towards the desired result.

The (personal) stages of change
These are often expressed in different ways by different authors, but a useful model is:
DENIAL‐ DEFENCE‐DISCARDING‐ADAPTATION‐INTERNALISATION

Reducing resistance to change
Get people involved. Ask them questions, do research about attitudes and opinions amongst the group and publish the results. Often, people resist change because they feel powerless or alone. Feeling part of a social group is important, especially as change moves on. Help people say their ‘goodbyes’ to their old ways and world so that they can start looking towards the future.

Moving through the (organisational) change process
Phase 1‐ Analysis & Objective setting
Phase 2‐ Systems Introduction and Involvement
Phase 3‐ Implementation and Change
Phase 4‐ Evaluation and renewal
Some of these phases are more about people than others. People must be involved in the planning stage, or they will not take ownership of the issue. But proper systems must be in place, otherwise people will return to their old way of doing things.