Change Management 101

Change management is first and foremost about people and their capacity to adapt to change. Since, the HR department is all about recruiting, training and monitoring employee performance; it has a key role to play in any change management program. There are different aspects in which HR can play a significant role and we shall consider some of them.

The HR department has to ensure that employees are motivated to undertake the change and participate in the change management program. For this to happen, they need to recruit the right people who can think out of the box and can bring a fresh perspective to the table.

Great companies have great leaders and great leaders are “enabled” and “energized” by highly supportive environments that nurture and reward talent. The last aspect of reward and recognition is the final element in a successful change management plan and if the employees who enthusiastically participate in change initiatives are suitably rewarded and adequately recognized, there is an added incentive for them to further the change initiative.

HR needs to be seen as much more than a supporting function and instead, must be viewed as integral to the organization’s change management strategy.

Ten Pre-Requisites for Transformation Change (as per Beckhard’s Change model)

1. Ensuring the commitment of the senior management towards the change, which should even be visible to all the organizational members.
2. Producing a written mission statement and the futuristic vision/direction of the organization which may provide guidance on the objectives, policies and values.
3. Building a shared awareness and change in the perception of the employees regarding the need for change.
4. Selecting a team of key managers and opinion formers who will be playing a crucial role in gaining the commitment of the employees towards the change and in disseminating the change widely across the organization.
5. Generating an acceptance towards the overall process of change and the entire process of transformation.
6. Developing an understanding that resistance to change is inevitable and it needs to be managed effectively.
7. Educating and training the participants regarding the necessary competencies required for effectively overcoming the resistance towards the change and winning their commitment.
8. Taking steps for avoiding the blames or any kind of negative behavior which may generate any kind of resistance towards the change.
9. Using appropriate resources for facilitating this entire process of transformation or change.
10. Maintaining open channels of communication regarding the key processes, failures, challenges and the learning from the new initiatives.

Effective change management involves a systematic approach which facilitates an understanding of the bigger picture instead of just the functional parts. Change Management is future driven and must include the strategic and tactical elements for realizing the futuristic goals of any change program.

Key factors which are involved in the effective change management process have been described below:

1. All Pervasive Nature of Change: For a greater impact, change process must be looked at from a holistic perspective instead of parts. Any change process will fail to meet the collective goals of an organization or achieve the desired results unless it is implemented in an integrated manner.
2. Effective Management of Change Should Have the Support of Senior Management: This is one of the most important requirements for achieving the successful outcomes from a change management process, without which the entire efforts will fail. This is because top management or the leadership provide vision and direction for implementing change in a planned manner.
3. Multidisciplinary Nature of Change: Change is multidisciplinary in nature, as a result of which project teams are set up for ensuring the success of a change management project and realizing the core objectives
4. People: The most important factor in the Change Management Process: The most crucial organizational resource is People and one of the precious assets which determine the success and growth of an organization.
5. Change is About Continuous Improvement for Achieving Success: A change project should be taken as a mission, and all the efforts must be directed for the fulfillment of that mission in order to achieve success.
6. Change Management is Perpetual: Change Management process is an ongoing process and demands attention from various fronts which include: assessment of the triggers which propel change, vision and planning which means developing a futuristic road-map and involving people in the entire process for making change realizable.
7. Effective Change Management Process Require the Involvement of Skilled Change Agents: The Change Agents greatly have the responsibility of ensuring the success of change initiative by demonstrating the required competencies at work. Over and above the knowledge level and functional skills, the change agents should be capable of connecting easily with the people and should be able to communicate and convince people about the change.
8. Successful Change Management is all about Ownership: Change Management must involve collective ownership from all the key stakeholders including management for their strategies and decisions, change agents for facilitating change and seeking the support of people, problem owners who are directly involved in the change and also the people.
9. Change Offers Opportunities and Challenges, is all about Fun and Passion: Challenges drive the best of the outcome from the people and improves the crisis handling capabilities of people to emerge as the winners eventually.