Developing a Change Plan

The common misconception about developing a change plan is that it centers on the how the change should be implemented per se. But the more important focus of the plan is to make sure that the project is carried out smoothly by having the right means to reduce the amount of resistance towards change and having the right people on board. It is important to consider who the stakeholders are and who the key people are, as they have the ability to influence those who are around them. Influence is a crucial factor in managing resistance and gaining people’s buyin, without the right influential people on board, it will be extremely difficult to roll the changes out. Suffice to say that developing a change plan isn’t just all about breaking down the project into actionable steps, but also having the tools and the steps that are necessary in dealing with the people side of change management.

The Purpose of Developing a Change Management Plan

Think of it as building a dream team; recruiting people who possess the skills and the ability to confront issues, communicate effectively, listen and problem solve, as well as find ways to come to a compromise when it is absolutely necessary.

Once the team is built, everyone in the team is now given a role to perform as well as the tasks and actions that they will be carrying out, in order to successfully bring the project to the finish line. These are the most essential steps in order to manage the transition properly. Let’s discuss each of these steps below.

1. Communicating a clear vision of the future state

Showing people what the future will be like once the change has been completely implemented gives them a better understanding of the purpose of change. It creates a paradigm shift and a change in the environment. It reduces uncertainty and ambiguity, which create resistance — a major issue in any change project.

• Appointing a transition manager

The manager should be someone who can get the buy-in of the stakeholders and get the support of the people within the organisation. The only way to mobilise change is if there is a transition manager who has the ability to convince people to put in the required amount of effort to support change. Someone who is well-respected within the organisation is an ideal candidate for this position, as this person likely has the ability to influence people to support change, and develop a huge support for it, within the organisation.

• Developing a change/transition plan

There are several factors to consider when developing the structure for a transition or change plan. The plan must integrate the purpose of change to the activities that are meant to achieve the milestones set for scaling change, including discrete activities. Timing and coordination are two of the most important factors to consider when developing and carrying out the plan. This ensures that the plan is going according to the set timeline and that each activity or event is tied to a goal or a priority.

• Securing resources for the transition

One common mistake in implementing change is the lack of consideration for other areas of work that may be affected by change. A change in technology may require training for the staff, in order to maximise the new technology. Focusing on what needs to be changed and then considering the surrouding areas that may be affected by it is what makes the plan effective and complete, making sure that resources are properly allocated and that the amount of resources needed to accomplish the goal is set and readily available.

• Leveraging points for change

Change often causes a ripple effect that may trigger an equilibrium-seeking action from other areas within the organisation. There may be a need to modify existing systems, methods, and processes in order to make it compatible w the changes made, be it on the people side or the technical side of the project.

• Establishing rewards and recognition for transition behaviors

Rewarding and recognising positive transition behaviors is an effective way to address resistance and promote support for change. Positive behavior is acknowleged and made known in the entire organisation. This is another way of influencing people to support change and encourage others to do the same.

• Establishing activities, feedback tools and process

To effectively gauge the success of a project, it is important for managers to listen to the people and hear what they have to say. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is what helps the change management team see what they are doing right and what needs to be improved. Using feedback as a tool is an effective way to manage change and resistance.

High Level Planning for Change

Aside from breaking down the work into actionable tasks and list of activities, planning the availability of the resources for the work must be accomplished before setting out to implement any change.High level planning includes stating the goals and objectives of the change project, the amount of time it will take for the project to complete and how it will impact the business, financially and fundamentally. Once these two factors have been discussed and finalised, on-boarding people to join the change management team comes next. As the goals, objectives, and time factors have been established, the process of building a team can be done in a logical and effective manner. It is highly important to consider the availability of the candidates, schedule wise and workload wise, so as not to interfere with their regular daily workload and set schedules, commitments, future work load, as well as planned time offs.

This is to ensure that the goals and objectives of change are met, while making sure that the team is on top of the situation at all times, hand-offs are seamless and done in a timely manner, and that the project stays on track, without going over budget.

Once this has been finalised, all activities and events are anchored to the goals and objectives, and are scaled accoding to the timeline established during the high level planning. Monetary and talent resources are distributed accordingly

Setting the Wheels in Motion

High level planning requires carefull evaluation and time management, as project managers heavily rely on it to oversee and facilitate the project and steer the team towards the right direction, while making sure that everything stays on track. Below are the important factors to consider before executing any part of the plan.

• Evaluation before execution

Goals and objectives are carefully examined and then are tied with activities to roll changes out. The activity is what provides the practical information and a hands-on experience to those who are going through the change process. Each activity is led by a key individual who has the skill and knowledge to execute the plan, along with the activity, and deliver the expected results in the end.

• Estimation and allocation

Resources include time, funds, and talent. Not only is the project manage responsible for estimating and allocating funds, the PM is also responsible for estimating and allocating time and human resources to carry out every part of the project, according to a set timeline.

• Resource leveling

Any modification or deviation from the original plan can cause delays that can affect the workflow and the timetable for the project. To prevent the team from getting overwhelmed with unexpected modifications, especially when it comes to activities, it is important to consider their own personal timeline to prevent special project work from interfering with their original tasks. This is also important in making sure that the team isn’t taking any more work than they can actually do and accomplish before they’re scheduled to move on to the next item on their list.

These things must be considered at all times, especially during high level planning, as this serves as the backbone of the whole change management planning. When this is done correctly and properly, it increases the project’s chance of success, as well as that of the team’.