Is "Change Management" a Misnomer?
Peter de Jager is a provocative Speaker, Writer and Consultant. His primary focus in on how we manage change, technology and the future.
In addition to speaking at conferences worldwide, he also writes monthly columns for CIO Magazine and Computerworld Canada.
His goal is always to question what we think is so, and in so doing perhaps open up new opportunities.
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To many people, the notion we
can "Manage" change with any noticeable positive effect, is a
myth perpetrated on naοve organizations by greedy, unscrupulous
consultants. In general, that's a tad overstated, but I've heard people
describe the concept of "Change Management" in even less
complimentary terms.
Problem Solving :-
The task of managing change does indeed involve a large degree of problem
solving ability, but it is a very specific type of problem and all types
of Change have many process patterns in common. If we dump change
management into the larger bucket of problems, then it becomes more
difficult to focus on, and benefit from, those patterns.
Leadership :-
Great concept. Making change happen smoothly, quickly and with a minimum
of pain, definitely requires leadership ability. Unfortunately the term
"Leadership" suggests the need for abilities beyond the reach of
the majority of employees. Most people do not consider themselves leaders,
and placing Change Management into that category means that we then tend
to place the responsibility for Change into the hands of
"THEM"... Hardly the best approach when an organization is
attempting to undergo large scale Change.
Innovation :- A
good start, but Managing Change is more than just coming up with a new
idea, it's also, perhaps mostly about preparing people for the Change and
assisting them through the assimilation of the new
skills/situation/environment.
Making Progress/Process
Improvement: - Also
a great start... but not all Change involves "Making Progress"
or "Improvement", a lot of Change is about getting used to a
situation that is not as good as what went before.
Implementation/Transition
Management :- Like
"Innovation" above, this is only part of the process.
Implementation without preparation doesn't get the real job done.
As
mentioned at the start, the term "Change Management" has its own
problems, at the very least it causes the eyes of most managers to glaze
over. That said it is still the most common way to refer to the task of
managing the change process from start to finish.
To
clarify what is involved in Managing Change we can break the process into
five stages.
I
Awareness that the Status Quo is no longer
sufficient/appropriate/desirable.
II
Accepting that a specific change is necessary
III The Change
'event'
IV The
transition period where we acquire new skills and comfort level
V
Achievement of the new Status Quo
Stage
one is less one of management and more of being observant of what is
happening around us. Management's role is to notice the early indicators
and weak signals hinting that a change is called for
Stage
two draws on all our management and leadership ability. The more people
come to believe that the change is necessary, the easier the change
process. "Telling" them what to believe isn't the answer.
Describing the problem, creating a vision of the future, allowing them to
contribute to the details of what the solution might be, these all combine
to create a ground swell of demand, support and commitment to the Change.
Stage
three is an event
in time. The move takes place, the layoffs happen, the new system is made
live. Getting the operational details to go as smoothly as possible,
through good management practices, adds to the ease with which the change
is assimilated.
Stage
four is all about
providing a support structure to facilitate the acquisition of new skills.
Without this support structure in place, change becomes unnecessarily
difficult.
Stage
five? Three words -
Time to Celebrate.
So? Does
the concept of Change Management make sense? If these five stages are
ignored or mismanaged then change is naturally difficult... if attention
is paid, if management is competent in discharging the above duties and
responsibilities, then Change can occur with less pain. Change Management,
done properly, does far more than result in a positive outcome, it enables
your organization to thrive in the face of adversity.
© 2005, Peter de Jager
Peter is passionate about change, how it affects both individuals and
organizations and allows them to grow and prosper. To contact him, and
host internal seminars on Change Management visit www.technobility.com
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