5 steps to effective change management in the workplace

 Tweet it: '5 steps to effective change management in the workplace'

Organisational change management (OCM) is essential for any businesses that undergoes cultural, technological, or economic change. But in recent years, the rate of change for many global businesses – influenced by both internal and external factors – has greatly accelerated.

Smart, connected mobile devices are enabling a flexible culture that celebrates anytime, anywhere productivity, while on-demand cloud solutions are empowering more businesses to innovate faster, and at scale. And for the first time, an aging workforce means we have four generations of employees working side by side in the workplace.

But with these changes also comes many new challenges. And that’s before we consider the long-lasting impact of recent health crisis. In fact, many research reports have cited a 70% failure rate for all organisational change efforts. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

In Organisational Change Management For Dummies, you’ll find a tried and tested guide for building an effective OCM framework. And to help get your change management team started on the right foot, here’s a teaser of what you’ll learn…

Five Elements to Consider for Effective OCM

1. The Vision

When an organisation begins a change project, chances are each person involved already has a different vision of the ideal outcome based on their function. It’s only natural that a CFO is likely to care more about the project’s financial impact than a CTO, for example.

It’s not that any one individual is wrong to care about what they do, but for a change project to succeed, there must be a clear vision and easily articulated ‘definition of done’ from day one. Every successful change project starts with something everyone agrees upon and can be returned to as a guidepost throughout. 

2. The Plan

The alarming reality is that many organisations often fail to plan for OCM when kickstarting a project.

The lack of a robust, end-to-end plan that breaks your overall change management project into manageable pieces can result in operational confusion, delayed work streams, and a damaging lack of accountability.

What you need is an OCM plan that’s easy to understand, aligns each work phase with a specific project requirement, and maps out clear steps for all involved. 

3. The Resources

No project succeeds without the right resources. And OCM plans are no different.

But what are those resources? The most important of all is people, or rather, the right people. With them on board, you’ll then want to consider identifying appropriate team working spaces, scheduling and logistics support, technology support, communications, and accommodating any likely travel or budgeting needs.

4. The Support

To help rally your organisation’s leaders around your vision, it pays to lay your cards on the table as early as possible regarding what support you’ll expect from them.

The amount, quality, and consistency of support your OCM team receives frombusiness leaders can dictate a project’s success, so don’t shy away from earning your team a seat at the table.

Remember, if business leaders are helping drive that change, the easier it’ll be for everyone to recognise and adopt new behaviours and organisational expectations. 

5. The Measurement

Measuring your OCM project the right way is essential.

This means measuring success metrics like ROI and reduced cycle time, as well as progressive changes like stakeholder engagement, employee behaviour, and general project awareness. Having the right data at your fingertips can also help you make informed decisions to get your project back on track should it start to veer off-course – or encounter any problems along the way. And should you start another change project, you can always refer to past measurement data to see what worked and what didn’t. 

Get OCM right and drive positive change

These are just some of the many tips you’ll find in ‘Organizational Change Management for Dummies’. To learn more about OCM, including why your people should care, and the top ten keys to OCM success, download the full guide.

Organizational Change Management for Dummies

Your guide to ensuring a project’s success by managing change

Download Your FREE Copy Now