Change is inevitable–and it’s not always easy. Reports show that only 34% of change initiatives succeed. Oftentimes, the success or failure of these initiatives stems from a lack of process. Studies show that organizations that integrate change management are more likely to reach their intended goals (47%) versus those that do not (30%).
Having a change management process in place offers a structure to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from where they are today to where they want to be, ensuring that improvements provide both an immediate impact and sustainable success.
Whether it’s introducing a new process or implementing cutting-edge software, here are the key steps of an effective and efficient change management process.
Step one is crucial as it helps you identify and communicate the need for change and the overall goal for the project. During this stage, you will:
The first step in any change initiative is recognizing the need for improvement. This involves identifying gaps or inefficiencies in current processes, analyzing market trends, and gathering feedback from employees and stakeholders.
Raising awareness right from the start is crucial to gaining buy-in for change. Share insights about the challenges facing your organization and help stakeholders understand why change is necessary. Maintaining clear communication during this phase and throughout the change management process can build trust and confidence in taking a new direction.
What does success look like for this initiative at a high level? The answer to this question, whether it’s improving operational efficiencies, enhancing the employee experience, or boosting care outcomes, can further reinforce the need for change.
While it may seem tedious, managing a new project without a documented plan is like driving in a new city without a map. Once your organization has decided to move forward with a change, it’s time to outline a comprehensive, realistic, and strategic plan for bringing this new vision to life, which should include:
Now that you have a plan in place, it’s time to move it forward.
Change leaders are influential individuals within your organization who can champion the changes, address concerns, and motivate teams–and they play a critical role in driving initiatives forward. Who you recruit as a change leader could vary based on the initiative and could include stakeholders already involved in the project, or those outside the day-to-day implementation such as managers or even frontline employees.
Consistent and transparent communication is essential to minimizing resistance and maintaining momentum. Project stakeholders should meet on a regular cadence to discuss progress and potential roadblocks. And make sure you don’t leave employees outside the project team in the dark. According to Gartner, 74% of leaders say employees are involved in a change strategy, but only 42% feel included. Provide updates to those outside the project team as needed to ensure questions or concerns can be addressed in a timely manner and ensure staff members at all levels feel involved.
Change is never easy. And no matter how much planning you do in the initial stages, you’re likely to run into a roadblock or too, including resource limitations or even technical challenges. Proactively identifying and addressing these obstacles as they come can help you maintain the pace of the initial rollout.
Your plan is implemented and your new initiative is live! Congrats! But don’t celebrate just yet. We all know that just because you introduce something new, doesn’t mean everyone will embrace it. Even if your former way of doing things wasn’t ideal, people like to do what they know. Here’s how you can ingrain your change into your organization’s day-to-day operations:
Particularly when it comes to implementing new technology, providing adequate training can be the difference between high and low adoption. Outline a training schedule that meets the needs of your team and those who will be using it. For more complex changes, create quick guides or resources to help employees get their questions answered should they run into issues.
If a process is new or innovative, it can help to identify a few employees internally (regardless of level) as experts that others can go to for help. For example, if you’re rolling out a new time and attendance system, tap a few team members who can become power users and empower them to help others who may be less tech-savvy.
For change to stick, it has to be fully integrated into your operations, including any existing workflows, policies, and procedures. In other words, it must become a requirement, instead of an option. If someone is reluctant to the change, be sure to discuss their concerns and work to find common ground on why this change was necessary and how it can make their lives easier.
With your latest initiative up and running, now is the time to measure the impact of the change both following the initiative implementation and over time. Continuously measuring how well this initiative meets the needs of your organization can help ensure long-term success as well as identify when it’s time for another change.
Did this change achieve it’s intended outcome? Start to measure your change against the KPIs you set in phase 2 of this process. Depending on the project, it may take some time to see the full impact of the project, but overtime, these metrics can help you establish new benchmarks to continuously measure against as this new process is adapted and maintained.
Everything always looks better on paper. But how is this change impacting your employees on a day-to-day basis? Be sure to continuously ask for feedback on the processes and systems you have in place to ensure their meeting the needs of your team. Identifying issues and concerns as they arise can help identify additional training needs, provide clarifications or potentially identify a problem that needs addressing.
As mentioned earlier, change is inevitable. And it likely won’t be long before you’re introducing something new to your organization again. After each project, it’s important to exam what went well and what could have gone better. Doing so can help you identify what components of your change management process you would keep, add or remove and refine your process for the next big initiative.
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