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Have you every done the kid safety drill? You know, the one where you get down on the ground and crawl around looking for potential danger? Of course, kid that I am at heart, I rolled, slid and somersaulted too… The world is entirely different down there. That, for awhile anyway, is the world of a toddler.
Change success (the accomplishment of business objectives near and long term) requires connecting work and motivation to vision/idea/change and vice-versa. That means strategy must make sense and the "make sense" must be transferred to the employees in a way they will accept. While this seems obvious I find most executives understanding it only on a surface level. If this loop of idea and work does not exist and/or is not understood then that is the first step in the process of introducing change ideas. With a clear understanding of what it takes to get things done, assuming a change idea will facilitate that process, anyone in the organization should be able to communicate an idea. Connecting the work of individuals to the strategy of the organization. Placing the strategy of the organization in context with the motivation and work of employees. If, as a stakeholder, I know how my work fits in and how I can effectively contribute then change management has been successful. If that can be repeated for multiple initiatives, programs and projects then change management has been culturized.
Change Management communication has four phases. Idea communication Awareness Project Communications Gauging success idea communication- This is the time that the original idea goes through the process of matching to corporate strategy and connecting to the experience, perspective and knowledge of stakeholders. Obviously not everything can be communicated. A sensible level of transparency during this stage will be rewarded in later phases with increased participation and productivity. awareness-
These are the core phases of a change management initiative (I know not what you are used to seeing). Idea Engagement Big Picture/Vision Engagement PMO approach Disbanding
Idea- Every change starts with an idea. The idea can develop into change. For that to happen a connection to both stakeholders and the business strategy of the organization will have to be made. The idea needs to become a clear picture of a spot to head to. Engagement- Successful change management communication informs stakeholders of the time and place for their work. Time- is the relationship of stakeholder work and participation to the total amount of time for the initiative, the time frame of the phase(s) they are included in and the period they will need to accomplish their tasks. Place- is the relationship of that work to participation and tasks that occur before and after their own (and possibly a connection of importance to the bigger picture). Well of course this is simple time and project management right? If we communicate what is happening then we are doing a good job. You do have one?
Placing an external change management resource high in an organization is incredibly powerful. Leveraging that power in a way that is honest and effective is an approach few C-level executives choose to use. I will make the assumption that this is a tool at the bottom of the box that you did not know you had. This is what has happened when I have lived this role for a client- The employees are shocked and surprised like a kid who gets two pieces of candy at the store instead of one. There is a hidden account for every organization in the bank of change management. In that account is the accumulation, or lack thereof, of goodwill and morale. It holds the energy you will need as an executive for any change you envision. It is entirely possible to fill that account full to use later. It is also easy to withdraw it faster than a shopper at an ATM. Past failure (even if only perceived), broken promises, forced change and more, all withdraw from the account. Transparency, smart decisions well communicated, empathetic leadership, well guided change processes add deposits.
It is much more difficult to place yourself in the blur of the horizon and imagine how things are different. That takes time; time that is not often budgeted into a business day. It also takes skill and competency in that you have to put yourself in your own shoes with a changed perspective and environment. I am a stakeholder in the middle of an initiative invited/told/asked/coerced into participating. Do I understand how my effort will fit into corporate strategy? Do I know what led up to the spot where I am asked to contribute? Do I know what comes next and the value of my effort? Change Communication to be considered successful must always be able to answer these questions. Time-For change this means length, moment and its relation to the initiative as a whole. A stakeholder should know the relationship between their work and time both as tasks with length and deadlines (the forte of project management) and as an element of the whole (in terms of both work and purpose). Because it is this spatial connection that can trigger and reinforce motivation. |
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