Six keys to prepare for change

Why it is important:  
When beginning the change management project, one of the most important steps you can take is to understand the nature of the change. The change characteristics worksheet and assessment tool will help you understand the type of change, the size of the change, who is impacted (and who's not), the number of impacted employees and other critical scope questions.  Each of these factors will influence your change management strategy.

Key tools and resources:
For more in-depth detail on identifying change characteristics see the first tutorial in this series.  For the complete identifying change characteristics worksheet and assessment please see the Change Management Pilot.

Why it is important:
Treating all groups involved in a change the same way can be detrimental to your project success.  Some groups may have very little change affecting their day to day work, while others may be doing something entirely different in their day-to-day work due to the change.  The audience impact analysis allows you to customize your change management strategy to assist each group in the best way possible.

Key tools and resources:
For more in-depth detail on audience impact analysis see the first tutorial in this series.  For a complete audience impact analysis tool see the Change Management Pilot.

Why it is important:  
These organizational attributes are important to understand so that you can educate your team and sponsors about the potential obstacles to successfully implementing your business change.

Key tools and resources:
For more in-depth detail on assessing the organization see the second tutorial in this series.  For a worksheet and assessment on assessing the organization see the Change Management Pilot.

Why it is important:  
This key assesses how critical change management will be for success and how much change management will be required.  Documenting risks that your organization will face during the change provides the needed information for you to communicate to your primary project sponsor.  This communication allows proper planning of special tactics for these risks.

Key tools and resources:
For more in-depth detail on assessing your project risks and a risk assessment grid see the second tutorial in this series. 

Why it is important:
Counter anticipated points of resistance proactively - before they become a problem.

Key tools and resources:
For more in-depth detail on identifying special tactics see the third tutorial in the series.

Why it is important:
After keys one through five, you can see how each and every business change is unique. Effective change management comes when your change management plans match the unique attributes of your change and the people who are changing.  A strategy presentation provides a point of collection for all the unique and different elements of your change management strategy.  Some initiatives will require more change management while others may require less.

"More" or "less" change management refers to the following work areas:

• Change management team model used, number of team members, amount of time required and team development (training)
   
• Sponsorship models and support systems (e.g. single sponsor, leadership council or steering committee)
   
• Leadership coaching and development
   
• Communications planning and implementation (frequency, channels, size and number of topics)
   
• Supervisor interventions and training
   
• Resistance management
   
• Employee education and training programs
   
• Feedback and assessment of change compliance
   
• Corrective action and recognizing early successes

The strategy presentation allows you to present the case for change management and show exactly where and how your organization can benefit from change management in the upcoming project.

Key tools and resources:
For a change management strategy presentation template see the third tutorial in this series.