What a topic! It's undoubtedly a complex issue, but one that concerns all of us involved in change processes, whether as advisors or managers and leaders.
If we think in terms of the “7 phases of change” according to organizational development, we can identify those aspects that our experience shows to be most critical.
In Phase 1: Need to Change
- Opinions about the need for change are unclear or conflicting.
- Management communication is inconsistent and/or unfavorable to change.
- Communication about the need for change is nonexistent because management assumes the need is “obvious.”
In Phase 2: Expected Results
- Incomplete or not specifically defined desired results.
- Desired results that are not communicated, even though the process is.
- There is a belief on the part of one department that another department's goals are sabotaging its own.
In Phase 3: Impact of Change
- When considering direct or indirect impacts, there are parts of the organization that are overlooked.
- Too many / too few details in the plan.
- Absence of a system or method for tracking issues and identifying potential problems.
- Inadequate determination of necessary resources (e.g. costs, personnel, systems, etc.)
In Phase 4: Master Plan
- Lack of attention to roles, responsibilities, structures and resources.
- People required to implement the plan who cannot be released from their usual responsibilities.
- Not assigning top priority to change efforts.
- Instrumentation schedule not in line with reality.
- Belief that change will be made by external advisors and not by the company's own people.
In Phase 5: Implementation
- Lack of effective monitoring systems.
- Absence of Emergency Plans for unforeseen changes in the process.
- Implementation time too long; lack of continuity.
- Change team members lose interest or no longer wish to participate.
In Phase 6: Process Stabilization
- Omitting the public announcement that the desired result has been achieved.
- Not providing the opportunity to recognize achievement.
- Imposing another major change without first providing a short break.
In Phase 7: Evaluation of the Change Process
- Avoiding evaluation due to lack of available time.
- Failure to provide an honest assessment of what actually occurred during the change.
- Do not use the results as a means of refining future changes.
- Failure to acknowledge suggestions for improvements.
This is merely an enumeration. Most of the potential problems are self-explanatory. What is clear is that for change to be effective, it's not enough to announce it. It requires consistent and coherent work, following each of the phases and recommendations that we advisors provide, with the awareness that real change doesn't happen overnight, but if we take the work seriously, the results always exceed expectations.
Finally, we've all gone through or are currently going through a change in our organization. We invite you to reflect:
What phase of the change process are you in?
What difficulties do they face?
We hear you!!!
