August 2001 FAQ

Watered-Down Change Management

The term "change management" has now been around long enough for two things to happen: some folks get real good at doing it and others begin to apply the label to things that aren't even close. We are running across lots of both situations…and some clarification is in order.

Change Management properly defined is the body of management practice that enables organizations to make changes in how they operate in an orderly, systematic way. We say that change management enables change…on target, on time, and on budget. The specific actions that must be taken for change management to be effective are now pretty well known:

• Developing and communicating a Vision for how the organization will operate after the change is made
  
• Altering the organization's work processes to match the Vision
  
• Implementing and/or altering the organization's plant, equipment, IT systems, etc.
  
• Adjusting the roles of employees to use the altered work process and equipment/systems…and then training them in those adjusted roles.

Heavy duty action planning followed by robust Project Management is also required to ensure that the above actions are all taken on target, on time, and on budget.

Unfortunately, what we are seeing in the workplace is a watered down version of some of the required actions. We see lots of communication programs that tell a workforce that a change is coming. Some of these programs even have "what's in it for me" thinking. We are also seeing some pretty elaborate training programs that describe parts of the change, particularly if the change involves a new computer system. But these are the high points.

Imagine the low points: a company put an internal web site with one page of vision and case for change and 40 pages of do-it-yourself instructions. Good luck. Another staged an elaborate party with bells and whistles to get everybody excited about the coming change and did nothing to train people in how their work would be different.

We have seen some pretty flagrant cases of poor change management around big systems implementations done by some professional firms that should know better. One big firm, when asked about whether they could provide change management along with their systems integration services, said, and I quote, "Sure our girls can handle that." Politically correct or not, this firm was clearly signaling that they know they need to do something about this thing called change management or they won't qualify for the big systems work.

So is it time to change the term change management or just add categories?

• Virtual Change Management… "Sure we can do that for you…what exactly did you have in mind?"
  
• Change Management Lite…good communication and training to the masses. You can sort out these pesky role changes later on while you're trying to get your work processes adjusted
  
• ChangeManagement.com…web enabled change management through your company's own special portal. "What we'll put on that web site will have so much sizzle that your guys are really gonna' go for the change."
  

 

Dutch Holland, CEO of HDI, has worked as a management consultant for 30 years, helping organizations and leaders manage and implement change successfully. And if you enjoyed this short article, you'll love his new book, Red Zone Management: Changing the Rules for Pivotal Times (Dearborn Trade, Chicago, Fall 2001). Check your local bookstores or read a review at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com! Contact Dutch at 713.877.8130.

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