Developing a solid change management
strategy
2008 Kickoff Series
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As the new year begins, Prosci and the Change Management
Learning Center are excited to release a three part series focused on
launching effective change management programs for your upcoming
projects. The three tutorials in the 2008
Kickoff Series will examine specific steps you can take
to ensure your projects meet their objectives by effectively managing
the people side of change.
- Module 1 - Applying best practices in change management
- Module 2 - Positioning the project for success - the Prosci PCT Model
- Module 3 - Developing a solid change management strategy
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Actions you can take to prepare
your change management program:
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Developing a solid change management strategy
Right now, you probably have a number of new initiatives
underway. Some are part of the strategic plan for 2008. Others are
kicking off at the start of the new year as the organization tries to
improve its performance or prepare for possible hardships in the coming
year. In any case, the success of the projects and initiatives you are
supported will be directly tied to how well the people side of those
changes is managed.
The first step in effectively managing the people side
of change is preparing a change management strategy. The change
management strategy defines the approach needed to manage change given
the unique situation of the project or initiative. A solid change
management strategy involves three elements:
-
Situational awareness - understand the change
and who is impacted
-
Supporting structures - team and sponsor
structures
-
Strategy analysis - risks, resistance and
special tactics
The Change Management Pilot 2008 and
Change Management Toolkit
are cost-effective tools with step-by-step guidelines for developing the
change management strategy. Each navigate you through Prosci's 3-Phase
Process, with the first phase of Preparing for Change focused on the
change management strategy.
Elements of a change management strategy
Situational awareness
-
Change characteristics
- Begin by understanding the change that is being introduced.
Changes can be formalized projects, strategic initiatives or even
small adjustments to how the organization operates. Understanding
the characteristics of the change requires you to answer questions
like: What is the scope of the change? How
many people will be
impacted? Who is being impacted? Are people being impacted the
same
or are they experiencing the change differently?
What is being
changed - processes, systems, job roles, etc? What is the
timeframe for the change?
-
Organizational
attributes - Next, work to understand the people and groups
being impacted by the change. The organizational attributes are
related to the history and
culture in the organization and describe
the backdrop against which this particular change is being
introduced. What is the perceived need
for this change among
employees and managers? How have past
changes been managed? Is there
a shared vision for the organization? How much change is going on
right now?
-
Impacted groups -
The final step in building the situational awareness is developing a
map of who in the organization is being impacted by the change and
how they are being impacted. A single change - say the deployment of
a web-based expense reporting program - will impact different groups
very differently. Employees that do not have expenses to report will
not be impacted at all. Staff who travel once a quarter will be only
slightly impacted. Associates who are on the road all the time will
be more impacted, although filing expenses is only a portion of
their day-to-day work. And for those in accounting who manage
expense reporting, their jobs will be completely altered. Outlining
the impacted groups and showing how they will be impacted enables
specific and
customized plans later in the change management
process.
Supporting structures
-
Team structure -
The change management team structure identifies
who will be doing
the change management work. It outlines the relationship between the
project team and the change management team. The most frequent team
structures include 1) change management being a responsibility
assigned to one of the project team members or 2) an external change
management team supporting a project team. The key in developing the
strategy is to be specific and make an
informed decision when
assigning the change management responsibility and resources.
-
Sponsor coalition -
The sponsor coalition describes the leaders and managers that
need to be on-board for the change to be successful. Starting with
the primary sponsor (the person who authorized and funded the
change), the sponsor model documents the leaders of the groups
that
are being impacted by the change. The change characteristics will
determine who must be part of the coalition. Each member of the
sponsor coalition has the responsibility to build
support and
communicate the change with their respective audiences.
Strategy analysis
-
Risk assessment -
The risk of not managing the people side of change on a particular
change is related to the dimensions described in the situational
awareness section. Changes that are more 'dramatic' and farther
reaching in the organization have a higher change management risk.
Likewise, organizations and groups with histories and cultures that
resist change face higher change management risk. In developing the
strategy, overall risk and
specific risk factors are documented.
-
Anticipated resistance
- Many times, after a project is introduced and meets
resistance, members of the team reflect that "they saw that reaction
coming." In creating the change management strategy, identify where
resistance can be expected. Are particular regions or
divisions impacted differently than others? Were certain groups advocating a
different solution to the same problem? Are some groups heavily
invested with how things are done today? Note particular anticipated
resistance points depending on how each group is related to the
change.
-
Special tactics -
The final step of the change management strategy is the
identification of any special tactics that will be required for this
particular change initiative. The special tactics formalize many of
the learnings from the strategy development related to the
change
and how it impacts different audiences
in the organization.
Throughout the change implementation, special tactics may need to be
revisited and updated.
Change management strategy checklist
Summary
Formulating the change management strategy is the first critical step
in implementing a change management methodology. The strategy
provides direction and results in
informed decision making throughout the
change process. A well-formulated strategy really brings the project or
change to life, describing who and
how it will impact the organization.
The change management strategy also contributes to formulation of the rest of the
change management plans.
For instance, the groups identified in the strategy should each be
addressed specifically in the communication
plan. Steps for building and maintaining the coalition
identified in the strategy are part of the sponsorship roadmap.
Each of the subsequent change management plans and activities are guided
by the findings in the change management strategy.
| Change management strategy |
|
Change
management plans |
- Situational awareness
- Supporting structure
- Strategy analysis
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provides
direction for
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- Communication plan
- Sponsorship roadmap
- Coaching plan
- Training plan
- Resistance management plan
- Reinforcement planning
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Projects meet their objectives when they manage the human side of
change effectively. A robust change management strategy sets the stage
for effective change management and project success.
Resources for developing your change management
strategy:
| If you are looking for: |
Then try: |
| * A structured change management
methodology |
Prosci's research based methodology is
available in the hardcopy Change Management Toolkit (3-ring
binder with CD-ROM) and the online Change Management Pilot 2008
(access from any web-browser). These products present
step-by-step guidelines for creating a change management
strategy and the associated customized change management plan.
Each are complete with over 30 templates and assessments.
Change
Management Toolkit |
Change Management Pilot
2008 |
| * Change management certification |
Prosci offers open enrollment 3-day
certification programs at locations across the United States, or
you can bring the program onsite for your organization. During the 3 days,
participants learn the foundations of change management and are
involved in an intensive workshop where they create a 15-minute
change management strategy at the session. Each time you learn a
tool, you apply it to the project you bring. -- "Very easily
the best, most educational learning experience in which I have
ever participated." Chris T.
Change
Management Certification Program |
| * Research on effective change
management |
Prosci's 2007 Best Practices in Change
Management benchmarking report shares lessons learned and
findings from 426 organizations in 59 countries. The most
comprehensive report of its kind, Best Practices in Change
Management presents what to do and what not to do on a number of
topics ranging from communication to resistance management to
manager engagement.
Overview
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Table of contents |
Participant list |
Interactive TOC |
Tools for applying change management:
- Change
management certification ($2100) - 3-day program where you bring
a project you are working on and apply all of the assessments and
tools as you learn them - taught by former Fortune 500 executives at
locations across the U.S.
- 2007 Best Practices in Change Management
benchmarking report ($249) - journal-style report with lessons learned and best practices
from 426 participants, presented in an easy-to-use format - reads as
a checklist of what to do and what not to do
-
Change Management Toolkit ($349) - hardcopy 3-ring binder presenting
Prosci's change management methodology; includes templates, checklists
and assessments for managing the people side of change (includes CD-ROM)
- Change
Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors ($189) -
tools to help supervisors engage and coach their direct reports
through change (includes 4 copies of the Employee's Survival Guide)
- Change
Management Pilot 2008 ($449) - online tool including Prosci's change
management methodology, eLearning modules and downloadable templates,
assessments, presentations and checklists
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Change Management Pilot Professional 2008 ($559) - the content of the
Change Management Pilot plus additional benchmarking data and an
online version of the Change Management Guide for Managers and
Supervisors
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Change Management: the people side of change ($18.95) - a primer for anyone
involved in organizational change that addresses why manage change,
individual change management and organizational change management
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Employee's Survival Guide to Change ($14.95) - a handbook to help
employees survive and thrive during change; answers frequently asked
questions and empowers employees to take charge of change
*** Prosci also offers
leadership packages - groupings of products at discounts that
offer you some of the most helpful and common combinations of Prosci
change management resources
Email this page to a friend
Email a Prosci analyst or
call 970-203-9332 with questions about the methodology, its application, or finding the
right resources to support your change management activities.
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