Change Management In Action

There are five essential steps in the recommended approach to developing an action plan as part of a strategic review -
1. Diagnosis
2. Analysis
3. Preparation of detailed action plan incorporating SMART objectives; use of the marketing mix; internal and external communications strategy; skills audit; preparation of training plan.
4. Implementation
5. Ongoing evaluation - in many charities, successful change takes effect when subject to an evolutionary process subject to on-going reviews and modification rather than a major revolution taking place overnight (even though there may be occasions when the situation merits a more radical approach)
There are a number of ways in which you can break down barriers between departments during periods of change -
- set up cross departmental project teams.
- organise secondments from one department or team to another.
- establish an internal communications team with responsibilities for internal presentations and other regular updates on what is happening during the periods of change.
- also make sure that you or a committed member of the change management team understand how the grapevine works in the organisation and make the best possible use of it to monitor what is being said at grassroots and if you can influence it at that level - but beware; this requires considerable skill to be used as an effective communications tool.
- make sure that you and all colleagues involved in managing change are consistent in what you say and do and how you say and do it. Develop a common language of terms and jargon to avoid misunderstandings or rumors starting and getting out of control.
- reassure your staff at every opportunity that change does not equate to loss of status or redundancy for them. Keep reminding them about the things that are not changing whilst reinforcing the need for the changes that have been identified.
- Successful change management requires a blend of managers with leadership skills and administrative skills but above all outstanding communication and presentation skills. Senior managers in particular must have good personal selling skills and be able to deliver successful management road shows or workshops at which they should not be afraid to stand up and deal honestly with difficult questions.
- If you're a manager, make sure you are being seen during periods of change and encourage informal communications at all times. Management by walking about is probably the most effective management tool for any manager implementing change.
By demonstrating that they are not locked away but can and do take time to talk with staff at all levels, it does have a motivating effect when the manager is visible on a regular basis. Its success does however depend on the personality of the manager and is not a style recommended to anyone who may be shy or unsure of themselves.
- encourage post-mortems at each stage of change to engage colleagues and their views on what works well and what doesn't. This also provides opportunities for self analysis of individual's roles in teams and departments undergoing change and allows the people concerned to gain ownership of what is going on around them whilst identifying their own training needs.