Six keys to prepare for change

The culture and value system play a major role in how an organization reacts to change. By considering this factor, you can predict certain reactions in the group and plan accordingly to deal with those reactions. Certain organizational value systems will be very resistant to change. Your change management task in this case will be much more difficult.

It is important to assess the culture and value system in an organization so that you do not jump to conclusions about individual behavior and resistance. For example, if an organization is resistant to change and you observe individuals resisting the change, then the first step will be addressed toward the group at large.

On the other hand if you are working with an organization that is very adaptable to change, and you encounter individuals resisting the change, then individual change management strategies are often more effective as a first step.

For changes impacting more than a single department or work group, it is possible that each group will have a different assessment result.

Organizations have a limited capacity for change. If your organization is already experiencing a large degree of change, then implementing yet another change can be more difficult.

On the other hand, if little or no change is currently being implemented, then the acceptance of the organization to a new change is higher, and subsequently the change management process is more straightforward.

Leadership styles play an important role in change management planning. Because sponsorship and management support is a key success factor for change management, it is important that you take time to assess the leadership styles and power distribution in the organization.

Centralized leadership and control in a single individual (like the CEO or an executive manager) will result in a simpler sponsorship model. Conversely, when authority and decision making is dispersed throughout an organization, gaining support and consensus on the direction of the change will be more difficult. Sponsorship may come from multiple empowered leaders who may not agree on the direction of the change.

It is important to know where the true leadership, direction and decision making is taking place in your organization. Without this understanding, your activities may be targeted at the wrong individuals.

Past changes may have left a residual effect that could work in your favor, or make change management more challenging. Residual effects that will work in your favor include:

• Past changes were typically successful
• Employees and managers on past changes were well-informed and the change was managed effectively
• Executive sponsors were visible and active during the change process
• Resistance was confronted head-on and resolved quickly
• If necessary, employees or managers that would not change were removed from the organization

Residual changes that will make change management difficult include:

• Change projects repeatedly failed
• Employees and managers were surprised by changes
• Executive support for changes was weak and ineffective
• Changes could be blocked by employees and managers who resisted the change long enough
• Employees or managers could block or sabotage the change without consequences

In many organizations there are middle managers that have a high degree of control over their peers and employees. They are either strong leaders or feared by their employees. These middle managers will play a significant role in the change process.

During the change, these managers can take on several different roles that can be supportive or problematic for the change management team. These options include:

• Advocate - they will act in favor of the change and help with implementation.
• Neutralizer - they will neutralize messages from the executive sponsors and change management team. The actual message to their employees is tailored to their own agenda.
• Renegade - they will be unpredictable, sometimes appearing to support the change and other times undermining the change at key points in the process.
• Villain - they will deliberately and proactively sabotage the change using their position of power and authority and by using their informal network of communication with peers and executives.