Git-r-Dun to Make Change Successful

Any organization that is trying to make a change towill be accepted.o Change management is viewed as
how it operates will encounter issues of making theexpendable and/or is not done proactively.o
change that will dictate the level of success achieved.Communication to those involved and affected is not
People tend to stay "in the mode" as long as there isdone effectively or is done too late in the process.o
more of a reason to do so than not. The longer theEnd users who must participate in the change are
current practice has been in place, the moreneglected in the overall process.o No action plans or
fundamental the change or the more the entiremeaningful metrics are developed to provide guidance
organization is affected are key issues that willor monitor progress.
determine how successfully the change is made.In order to manage the change that is being attempted,
Resistance to change is the norm, not the exception.managers need to realistically understand what the
Expect it, prepare for it and manage it to minimize thechange means to the organization and to the
impact that it has. Ignoring it and hoping it will go awayindividuals. They need to assess the readiness of
will certainly fail and there are plenty of changethose involved, identify the talents to be used and build
management tactics that can be used to reduce thisa team that is made up of people with the skills,
resistance. Both individual and organizational valuesattitudes and rapport needed to make it happen.
affect how a change is received in the organizationThe plan that is developed needs to incorporate
and both need to be addressed in order to berealistic timelines and appropriate metrics that are
successful.simple and easy to understand. This plan has to also
People must be informed, empowered, willing and ablerealize that unless special circumstances exist, most of
in order for changes to be made effectively. Theythose involved with the change will also have regular,
need to be able to understand the context of whatdaily jobs to perform in order to support everyday
they are being asked to do as it relates to the overallongoing business. People cannot be expected to give
business and they need to be given the tools and skillsa full time effort unless they have been relieved of
needed for the new way of doing things. By beingtheir normal daily duties. Once the change is underway,
engaged and involved, people will often times accept aall of those involved need to assess results and make
change that is deemed negative to them as individualsadjustments as required. No plan will be exactly
if they understand that the organization as a whole willcorrect, but adjusting to ups and downs as they
benefit.happen will minimize their impact on the project.
People go through the change process in stages andAs one who spends a lot of time as a change agent
go through these stages as individuals. By nature,helping organizations make a change to business
people want to know what it means to them. Changeprocesses, I find that change cannot be managed by
management tends to focus on the organization as aremote control. Being involved, talking to people and
whole or on parts of the organization based on someworking the issues first hand is a must for anyone
definition (department, function, etc.). In failing towho is leading an organization to a different way.
recognize that individuals need to make the change,Keeping your ear to the ground and addressing
issues or opportunities may be missed that affect thechallenges right away in a direct manner will minimize
success of the effort.the issues that get in the way. In this effort, my
There are several reasons that organizations fail tofavorite expression is
succeed with changes that are attempted:o There areGit-r-Dun!o Spend time where the action is.o Get
unclear or unrealistic expectations for what the changefeedback from others.o Push to the next level of
is trying to accomplish.o The company culture isimprovement.o Follow through with expectations.o Let
misjudged or ignored as it relates to how the changepeople ask questions.o Give honest assessments.