Two Indispensable Change Management Tips Every Change Agent Should Know
Change management tips exist on everything from change management strategies to change management tactics to help make both personal and organization changes a success.  Some change management tips are practical and helpful. Others are obviously written by people who have never led or managed a complex organizational change initiative.
Organizational Change is Hard
Yes, as change management consulting experts, we know you know how hard it can be to effect real change in an organization. But the good news is that it is really pretty simple from a big picture perspective to do it right. If you look at all the change management tips, they all really boil down to two that you cannot succeed without having a clear plan that people buy into and staying focused on keeping people committed to the plan.
Too many companies embark upon organizational change without knowing where they are headed, why it matters or how to best navigate the path ahead. Spend the necessary time and energy upfront to set the stage with a sound action plan. You need to include:
Priorities
Recognize that a few strategic and realistic goals are better than many options
Timelines
Have a realistic step-by-step change management plan to move forward
Tasks
Create assignments so that it is clear who is responsible for what
Resources
Make sure everyone has what they need in terms of talent, equipment and funds to accomplish what they have been asked to do
Behaviors
Define the expected and appropriate behaviors so people know how they are to interact and work together
Transparency
Create exposure systems to transparently measure and monitor progress
Accountability
Define accountability processes to regularly check how the change initiative is faring, what issues have arisen, what concerns need to be addressed, and any suggestions for improvement
You need to garner support from the “get-go,” sustain it through the inevitable challenges, and maintain a company-wide focus on the vision of success. This involves:
Being forthright about the reason for the change and sharing your rationale with the entire workforce.
Acknowledging resistance with understanding, listening to and addressing concerns, answering questions and keeping the door open to discussions around how to manage the change more effectively.
Actively involving everyone in the process so, from the C-Suite to the factory floor, each employee understands why the change is needed, how the change will occur, where they fit and what the goals are.
Identifying key internal and external stakeholders and change leaders on all levels of the organizational hierarchy who can keep their fingers on the pulse of the change and be ready to adapt as needed to keep things on track.
The Bottom Line
The need for organizations and leaders to adapt and manage change to keep pace is a given. If you don’t face the fact that you will at some point need to do things differently, your company is unlikely to continue doing much of anything at all. Make sure that when you do embark upon change, you do it right and follow these proven change management tips.
If you liked these two change management tips, download How Successful Change Leaders Mobilize, Design and Transform Change Initiatives
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