Any type of change can be stressful and can cause disruption in the workplace. Whether it’s change in the organisational structure or in the installation of new technology, change is a painful but necessary process for an organisation to develop and progress, and it always involves the people in the workplace. Change in the workplace requires a solid structure and an effective communication strategy to pair it with, as well as a project implementation schedule that integrates the change along with the project roll out. The act of implementing the change is more than just reports and charts; it requires tools, techniques, and change leadership skills to make it a success. It is important to show the reason and the benefit that change can bring, not only through discussion but by making sure every individual in the organisation understands what the change is for and how to go about it. And this is what Change Management is all about.
The 5 Steps in Change Management Process
A change management plan may look like a linear, smooth flowing process, but it is never the case in practice. There will be obstacles and hurdles as the plan unfolds, and it can be extremely challenging, especially when met with resistance. There is also the notion that once the change has been made, it becomes a steady state and remains unchanged from the moment the goal has been achieved. On the contrary, change is an ongoing process, as the currently defined goals for change in the current state of an organisation may and will change when it reaches its future state. External factors like trends, economy, and technology are some of the factors that can influence organisational changes, affecting the business environment and triggering the need for change in the workplace, on an individual level. Here below are the steps and what actions and plans are involved in each of these steps.
- Recognise the need for change
Echoing the point mentioned above, change can be triggered by external factors as much as it can be triggered by internal factors. This involves a process of assessing the current status in the workplace, identifying the factors that require change, and deciding whether change is actually necessary or not.
- Start the change process
This is the step where the plans is set in motion. This is step that states the reasons why change is required and establishing the change agent, whether internal, external, or an external helping the internal agent in handling the change.
- Diagnosis
This is the step where the present state and the future state is reviewed and the broader concepts are narrowed into more specific and definite concepts. Reviewing the present state ensures that the goal for the change is for a realistic future state. At the same time, reviewing the future state shows which direction change could be heading, and help the organisation prepare for bigger and radical changes in the future, if the need be. Reviewing both states is a good way to balance the present and future requirements for change, and maintain caution in planning but not limiting outlook towards the future.
- Implement
This is the step where the desire for change is acted upon and made a reality. Time and motion is taken into account, as well as resources and process constraints, in order to create a plan on how to implement the change and how to manage it.
- Review and sustain change
Even after the current plan has been implemented, it is necessary to continuously assess both the internal and external problems that present other opportunities for change. This step circles back to the first step, which is recognising the need for change, which only proves that change is a continuousp process rather than an end state or a finish line that needs to be reached.
The 3 Main States of Change
As change unfolds, it goes through three main states: the current state, the transition state, and the future state. There are different models for change management, but the most widely used is the ADKAR Model for Individual Change. These come into play through the different states of change.
Current State: Awareness – the people involved must be aware of the change and why it is needed
Current State: Desire – it is important to show people what’s in it for them, in order to gain their support and create the change
Transition State: Knowledge – the people involved knows what needs to be change and how it’s going to be done
Transition State: Ability – it is possible to incorporte the change and perform the process
Future State: Reinforcement – the act of maintaining and sustaining the change
Change Agency
The ability of change leaders and managers to affect the way that the change is accepted within the organisation mainly depends on the how they are perceived by the people within it. These are divided into two views: deterministic and voluntary.
- The deterministic view
The manager is portrayed as someone who is also affected by the change and that their ability to influence the change is limited, as the factors are beyond their control, and that the situation is caused by external events that have a powerful effect on the organisation, and triggered a need for change.
- The voluntaristic view
The manager is viewed as someone who has th ability to influence change as they have the capacity to make decisions and make strategic choices that can affect the organisational performance and contribute to its success or otherwise. In this view, change is triggered by the choices and decisions made by leadership, and not just by factors that lie beyond their control.
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Managers Can Make a Difference
In the voluntaristic view, managers and leaders are perceived to have full control of the situation and have the capacity to manage change from start to finish. These people are skilled and are equipped with the tools to handle and lead change, and overcome the challenges that they might encounter along the way. These skills can be acquired by undergoing up-skills training and gained from experience.
In order to manage change effectively, managers and leaders are required to posses the following:
- Confidence in their own ability to make a difference
Managers who take the situaiton in stride, even when they are confronted with new problems along the way, and act decisively and confidently. They believe that their actions can make a difference and create a positive effect.
- The motivaiton to change
People have different motivation levels when it comes to change. Those who are successful but are currently experiencing tension or failure in some areas of their work are higly likely to be motivated to change. They are successful and have the confidence to undergo change, especially if it promises to relieve them of the problems that prohibit them from fully enjoying their success.
Those who are successful and are content with their current situation at work may welcome change but may not be as motivated to do so, as they feel that it isn’t required or reallly necessary at this point.
Those who are unsuccessful and lack the confidence in their own ability to navigate the changes and improve their situation. They often prefer their current situation as it is familiar and they have gotten used to making it work, despite not reaching success. The familiarity of the situation is more prefered than taking a chance on being in a better situation, because of the fear of failure and lack of confidence to change.
- Conceptual models and action tools/interventions
Concepts and theories answer the how and the what in the implementation of change. These help managers and leaders to identify the type of change that they are faced with, understand the process, and what needs to be done in order to achieve the desired results by undergoing a change.
- Change management skills
A good solid plan only works when it is executed by change managers and leaders who have effective communication strategies and leadershp skills. They are also not afraid to confront and negotiate when the situation calls for it. They are skilled to manage relationships with the people around them, especially with those who are severely impacted by the change.
Once the need for change has been explained and the people have been persuaded by the need for it, the next step is to establish the change agent. This can be an internal agent or an external agent. There are different benefits in having an internal and an external agent on board.
Internal agents are selected based on their skills and knowledge in managing both the organisational side of the change and the people side of the change. They can also be leaders who are managing the pilot team to undergo the change. The biggest advantage of finding a suitable change agent from within the company is that privacy and security will be a non-issue.
However, when competent employees have a vested interest in the outcome of the project, it becomes necessary to find an external, who is suitable for the job. This is to ensure that the outcomes are not skewed to the likings of thoes who have a vested interest in it.
Establishing Change Relationhsips
Perhaps the biggest beneifit of having an available suitable change agent from wihtin the company is that this person is already familiar with the people and the internal processes of the organisation. A relationship isn’t difficult to establish or re-establish, as opposed to having an external agent who will require some time to learn the ropes.
But in order to establish a change reletionship betwee the change agent and the team, everyone involved must have an understanding that change is needed, what is going to change, and how it’s going to be done.
Factors that Can Affect Change Relationships
Even internal change agents face some challenges with it comes to establishing change relationships, and this is even more pronounced when an external is involved. Below are the factors that can affect the change relationship.
- The ability to build trust and confidence – is the change agent competitive, knowledgeable and does s/he show confidence in handling the change?
- The ability to provide the services valued by the client – is the change going as planned and is the change moving towards the direction of the desired outcome? Is it being done according to the needs an requiremets of the organisation or the team?
- Friendliness and approachability – does the change agent listen to the people in the team and can they effectively communicate the process to the team?
- Intervening motives – does the change agent have personal motives and is it linked to the change?
Two other things to consider are identifying the client or the target group for change and clarifying the issues to ensure that the root of the problem is identified. This is important in determinig the right solution and in making sure that is implemented properly.
Looking at the factors that can make or break a change relatioship, it is clear that people skills, credibility, and integrity are major governing factors that can influence the way change agents are perceived and received by their teams.
Overall, the notion that change management is a straightforward step by step solution isn’t as simple as that. There are many factors affecting the change, including external factors, internal factors, present and future states, as well as managing relationships with the people who are affected by the change.
Change management isn’t easy but it is a necessary undertaking in order for an organisation to progress and improve the way it works. It entails a lot of work and a lot of effort to keep the momentum and make the change stick, until a new opportunity for change comes along.