Common Change Management Errors (66)

Not Creating Comprehensive Processes

not creating comprehensive processes

"...To establish the scope and extent of a transition within an organisation, a well-defined procedure is required. Leaders who are successful in this endeavour have set goals and desires for themselves and devised practical tactics to achieve them..."
ManageHR, 2021

Five Process Strategies

1. Create a Unified Change Strategy (this provides strategic guidance for the entire transformation and guides tactical planning for all initiatives by
    - senior change leaders developing and owning it
    - using as a guide throughout the transformation
    - making it flexible to adapt to any changing situation

NB It is a living document that is developed at the start of the transformation and can be modified as required.

There are 12 key elements of this strategy:
    i) develop values and guiding principles for the transformation
    ii) develop change governance
    iii) identify and select suitable initiatives that are aligned to the transformation direction
    iv) prioritise these initiatives into degrees of importance and urgency
    v) develop an appropriately aligned, multiple-project integration strategy
    vi) encourage bold actions during implementation
    vii) develop an engagement strategy that encourages maximum stakeholder involvement, like co-creating, collaboration, etc
    viii) develop a change communication strategy so that all stakeholders know it is happening
    ix) encourage acceleration of initiatives so that change does not drag out
    x) determine what resources are needed and make them available
    xi) identify important milestone events and celebrate their successful achievement
    xii) develop a flexible timeline.)

2. Clarify Governance Structure and Roles (clarify best practice roles, change structures, decision-making and interface with operations by

    - ensuring best practice and best people to fill the roles
    - appoiningt change process leader to mitigate all issues and lay the foundation for success
    - explore ways to speed up the process and decision-making
    - identify the power dynamics in the organisation.

NB Many staff are wearing 2 hats, ie operational and change responsibilities/accountabilities.

There are many different roles in organisational transformation:
    - change sponsor (usually a senior manager)
    - executive team (usually senior management team)
    - change leadership team (importance of informal leaders - for more details, see elsewhere in this Knowledge Base)
    - change initiative lead (individuals leading particular change initiatives)
    - change project team (individuals leading particular projects)
    - change consultant (usually an external person who has specific expertise required by the organisation).

3. Consciously Design Your Change Processes (requires understanding the 'big picture', ie macro issues; develop strategies to handle the people and process complexities within the organisation
    - generally conventional approaches, like analytical and technical concepts, etc, have limited success
    - a comprehensive, end-to-end guidance system is needed to handle enterprise transformation and its initiatives, eg Change Leader Accountability Model

(source: Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2023)

NB Systems quadrant refers to the content, such as processes, technology, etc.

Mindset is important, ie how leaders lead including openness to feedback, willing to change direction if required, fully committed to the change (not just a 'bless and delegate' notion.)

(source: Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2023) 

The above model is already in the knowledge base as framework 105 - see p 2244)

4. Set Out Conditions for Success (establish upfront requirements to achieve your desired outcomes:
   - explore ways to accelerate change progress    
   - leadership, at all levels, fully aligned to create and monitor the change process and individuals leading particular change initiatives
    - as continually monitoring and evaluating the progress, be prepared to make rapid modifications as required
    - change process leader to oversee and keep the change process relevant and real.

More conditions for success include

         i) adequately resourced (staff have the capacity, time to handle and money available; of these capacity is the number one obstacle as you are giving extra tasks to operational people who already have stretched workloads, ie they don't have the time to do it, etc)

        ii) continual leadership engagement (senior managers must be actively supporting the change process and role modelling the desired behaviours, like truth-telling, listening, co-creating, rapid course correction, authenticity, openness, commitment, calm under stress, etc)

        iii) focus on the results required (eg, need to be careful that timelines, ie when things happen, doesn't become more important than the results)

5. Establish a Course Correction Mindset and Systems (transformation requires a willingness, ability and system to identify a need for change in process or outcome and rapid adjustment; need to understand the organisation's past experience with change, ie struggles, successes, etc    

 NB change does not follow a predetermined path; it is non-linear

Remember: need to be prepared to modify concepts, processes, etc as feedback dictates; change does not move in a straight line, it zigzags about, etc; continually monitor and review progress and have the mindset that is prepared to modify the process, ie course correction.

Some blockages to course correction:

   - cultural 'bad' norms ( 'kill the messenger of bad news' or 'make a mistake and you're dead'; need to realise that mistakes, etc are a learning experience)

    - ego attachment (status quo, security, 'control and command', predictability, 'never being wrong', etc)

    - formal leadership 'bad' behaviour (leaders have all the answers; want to solve the problems themselves; tell people what to do, when; micromanage, etc.)

Establish a course correction mindset and systems by-
   - senior management agrees to alter the inhibiting cultural norms (see above)
   - design systems and processes that recognise inputs and solutions
   - understand the critical issues that need to be addressed, eg 'red flags'
   - communicate to all stakeholders on progress.)

Some extra comments

Many times in change, you are going down a new pathway that has not been tried before; thus many unknowns and you cannot use what happened in the past as an accurate guide to the present or future. Need to engage in inquiry, trial and error, experimentation, etc.

Co-creating is working with others, rather than dictating, ie telling people what to do, when.

Have a policy of 'no blame nor shame'. Need to acknowledge current realities in the organisation.

Be willing
 - to model new and different behaviours;
 - to take ideas, concepts, suggestions, etc from all levels of the organisation, eg management, staff, etc.

Red flags refers to critical issues that need addressing.