Planning for Change

The success of a change project relies on how well the change management team is prepared for the task. Planning for change is creating a directional and structured process, making it easier to navigate the path to change and giving managers the information that they need to help them effectively roll out changes.

After the change management team has identified what needs to be improved and has presented the case for change to the stakeholders, the next thing that needs to be done is to plan for change, by listing down all the steps that need to be taken and the actions that need to be done.

Planning for change is the process of creating a roadmap. A roadmap serves as a guide for the change management team, and this guide states where to start, what to do, when and how to do it, and where it ends. It includes details like resources, cost of work, scope of work, objectives, and expected outcome.

As a whole, the roadmap is a step by step roll out procedure, that makes it possible to implement change in a way that is feasible and with manageable intervals between each step and each phase. Planning gives change management teams the opportunity to come up with preventive measures, as well as problem solving techniques, to address any sort of resistance, minimise the impact caused by the change, and anticipate other issues that may arise at any point in the change process.

Choosing the Right Strategy

There are three main strategies to effectively manage change. These three strategies are the following:

• Economic – top-down change that centers on the drive for economic value. Results may be short term but may not be effective for long term success.

• Organisational Development – bottom-up change that centers on improving, developing, and creating capabilities, in an oganisational or personal level, to improve performance. Most likely to create long term results but takes time to do so.

• Beer’s Third Way – a combination of top-down change and bottom-up change, allowing change managers to roll out changes and solutions that yield short-term results and long-term success. This approach makes room for situational variables, which are critical factors when creating or shaping change strategies. The more situational variables are considered, the more inclusive the strategies and the solutions will be.

Beer states that the third strategy combines the best of both worlds; a simultaneous process that makes it possible to achieve short term plans while working on long-term plans

Considering Important Factors

As mentioned earlier, a change management plan is a structured and strategic flow of tasks, and each step has a corresponding action that needs to be done, in order to move the project forward. Before listing the steps down, it is important to consider the following factors:

• People

Who are the people/groups affected by the change?

How does the change imapct them professionally and personally?

Stakeholder mapping: who are likely to resist change and who are the powerful and influencial ones?

• Tasks

What area/aspect needs change?

Why is change needed and how is it going to be done?

How will it benefit the people/organisation?

What is the scope of the change?

Is this a small change or a huge change?

• Method/Approach

What is the right method/approach for the amount of work, resistance management, and people management?

Creating the Plan

Once the factors given above have been considered, the next step would be to develop a change management plan that can cover all the requirements and meet the goals of the project.

1. Identification: reasons/need for change
2. Testing: review and prove your theory/argument for change
3. Create a Case: state argument and present a cost-benefit analysis
4. Goal Setting: state what the plan aims to achieve and what the expected outcomes from the change are
5. Set Targets: break the entire project down into a series of tasks and the amount of time each tasks is expected to take
6. Establish Method and Approach: select the appropriate means to appoach the change and manage the impact of change, and assign tasks to selected leaders to help with the change project

Creating the plan is technical and strategic work, and requires careful analysis, consideration of situational variables, and setting realistic and achievable goals to ensure the success of the change project. Change requires reason, purpose, strategy, direction, and cooperation. All of these things must always be considered when creating the plan for change.

Selecting the Appropriate Interventions

Aside from the factors mentioned above, it is equally important to integrate intervetions that will support change efforts and increase its rate of success. Here below are the 4 main types of Intervention and the description for each:

1. Experts applying scientific principles to solve scientific problems

Time and motion analysis is a popular scientific principle used to solve a scientific problem, in this intervention approach. It is studying the problem by observing the situation in order to identify areas for improvement and create solutions based on the most efficient manner possible. The work is divided into segments and the steps that need to be taken to accomplish each segment are identified, and each given a certain amount of time to complete. Time and motion analysts determine the time per segment ratio.

• Groups working collaboratively to solve their own problems

This type of intervention promotes a sense of “we” to diminish the “us and them” feeling that exists in the organisation, which can hamper a successful change. It’s an inclusive approach, making people feel that they are part of the team and thus, encourage them to participate in carrying out the change. This group, in return, can influence other individuals and groups to also participate in the change.

• Experts working to solve system-wide problems

This approach centers on the work relationship of groups and units within an organisation. That their interaction serve as indications of any ongoing systemic issues there are within the organisation. By focusing on site-wide issues, looking at how different units and groups interact with one another, experts can identify disconnects, gaps, and conflicts between their interaction and develop ways how they can be moe interconnected, close the gap, and resolve incompatibilities that hinder a harmonious work interaction and inter-orgnanisation relationship.

• Everybody working to improve the capability of the whole system for future performance

This approach uses a parallel organisation, which is composed of individuals that represent different groups and different levels. These individuals work together to achieve a desired outcome. However, the excitement and interest is often only often retained within the members of the parallel organisation, and a trickled down effect isn’t enough to create a wave of interest with the rest of the organisation. Later on, experts started to use a more inclusive approach that can accommodate and involve more people at the same time. This was done by holding conferences, which involves a significant part of the system.

When it comes to problem solving, this intervention focuses on a “preferred future” state, encouraging teams to create solutions that can change the current situation to their envisioned and intended future situation.

Using Information as a Guide

Choosing the appropriate intervention depends on the type of change that is being implemented and the current situation specific to the area or group of people for which and for whom the change is made. Action research is a necessary step in diagnosing specific issues, involving individuals in creating solutions to problems, and its cyclical nature promotes continuous improvement, especially in naturally occuring settings, making solutions more adaptable, flexible, and relevant. Action research is a 4-step procedure, and each new cycle uses the same steps from 2 to 4, with the first step in the first cycle representing the orignal plan, and then in the next cycle representing the revised plan.

Cycle 1: Planning Stage (original plan) > Acting Stage > Developing Stage > Reflecting Stage

Cycle 2: Planning Stage (revised plan) > Acting Stage > Developing Stage > Reflecting Stage

The pattern on Cycle 2 continues through each new cycle after that, until the process is perfected or reaches the desired state. Let’s go over each of the 4 steps briefly.

1. Planning stage

Identifying the area for improvement and the scope of work. The information required is obtained from gathering information and reviewing any related material, which will then be filtered in order to develop a research plan

• Acting stage

The research plan is implemented and used as a guide to collect the correct data and then analyse it.

• Developing stage

A strategy is developed based on the results of the data from the research that was analysed. This is the stage where an action plan is developed.

• Reflecting stage

This stage involves going over the newly developed action plan, creating a strategy to communicate and share it, and then review the entire process to see if meets the desired state or has been perfected.

The information from this study is crucial in determining activities required to support the change and then match it with the appropriate intervention approach. To increase the effectiveness of a change plan and picking the right strategy, the following must be done whenever necessary:

• Appreciative inquiy – focuses on the positives and strengths. This is originally known as the 4-D Cycle (Discover, Dream, Design, Destiny)

• Training and development –  up-skilling, cross-training, talent development are just a few of the things covered by training and development. This closes the gap between the old and the new ways, and is essential in any form of change, including promotion, team transfers, and career pathing

• High performance management – HR practices that are shared within the organisation to improve the knowledge of the people and increase employee retention

• Business process re-engineering – focuses on efficiency. This involves the act of reviewing the current state and identifying flaws and weaknesses in a work flow or a system, and then finding ways to correct the flaws, create a stronger process, and improve work output.

• LEAN – this method uses a more inclusive approach, making people feel more involved in the process of change. And because of its short feeback loops, it allows change agents to update the plan as needed.

• Culture profiling – this involves the act of understanding the culture within an organisation, in order to identify and develop an effective approach to implement the change.
• Selecting Interventions – this uses a process to identify the organisational challenges that need to be addressed, its extent and the nature of it and using any approach from the wide range of interventions available to change managers.

The plan for change becomes a success when change managers are equipped with the right information, the proper tools for the job, and have the proper set of skills to do the job.