Assess Organizational Change Capability
Change does not begin with a blank slate in any organization. The history of an organization, it’s previous experience with change, and its workplace culture and corporate values, will determine how it goes about changing. The task of how to assess organizational change capability involves exploring the organization’s current capacity for change.
An organizational change capability assessment process provides a focused inquiry into many dimensions of an organization and its people. The output should be a clear picture and shared understanding of the current situation, employees’ concerns, resistances, and opportunities to leverage change throughout the organization.
The change assessment process helps the organization to be proactive about their change planning by anticipating difficulties and obstacles, and practicing preventative interventions. A systemic change assessment process often uncovers information about an organization that it does not know because the common ways that an organization resists or responds to change are not always obvious to the people — especially the leaders — in the organization.
4 Common Organizational Blind Spots to Uncover and Understand
Based upon data form our change management simulation combined with 30+ years on the front lines of changes, these common organizational change blind spots can get in the way of establishing an effective change initiative. Change leaders must get to know the organization deeply and thoroughly, and to begin the process of working in partnership with the people in the organization to facilitate effective change.
The cost of this denial will be difficulties in implementing a change, and unexpected reactions by the organization to the desired new ways.
Successful change leaders need clear, unbiased, and unfiltered information to make realistic plans for change.
Change resistance and its sources must be uncovered, understood, and responded to, or they can ruin well planned change initiatives.
5 Guidelines to Assess Organizational Change Capability
Follow these guidelines to develop information that the organization trusts and to build a collaborative problem-solving relationship with those most affected by change.
The change assessment processes should be conducted early in the change process so the organization and the people who lead the change can anticipate and respond to actual and potential obstacles to effective and sustainable change.
Change assessments should be repeated at regular intervals to look objectively at progress in areas that need continuing attention and to help the organization become aware of it’s sometimes not obvious, even hidden, expectations, attitudes, and expectations related to change.
Each data source offers an important, but incomplete, perspective on the organization’s readiness for a major change initiative. Together the three methods provide a comprehensive picture of the readiness of the organization to change, and the challenges and difficulties it will face in achieving the desired results of change.
The people below the leadership team often know more about what is needed, the real problems, and the potential solutions, than their bosses.
The Bottom Line
As an organization plans a major change, the key element in long-term success is the ability of the workforce to change quickly and accurately amid many uncertainties. Getting people to understand, become actively involved with, and committed to change is the key task of change leaders. Have you properly assessed your organization’s capability to change?
To learn more about how to create and sustain organizational change, download How to Mobilize, Design and Transform Your Change Initiative
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