Here are additional words of wisdom about change management spoken by participants in my change management survey. The words of my participants demonstrate the nuances of change management: change strategy, planning, implementation, and courage, much more graphically than any I can offer on my own.
Leadership
- "A change effort cannot be "optional" for the senior staff. They must lead or get out of the way. The new system will ultimately have to stand on its own feet, but every new system needs support and nurture."
- "Change efforts must be coordinated by leadership. When change efforts are frequent and happening simultaneously on several fronts without coordination, the organization fractures. Employees become confused and frustrated (and hence angry) because they are being pulled in conflicting directions."
- "Active management support isn't totally necessary, but active management antagonism is likely fatal. (I've been thrown out by a middle manager who said, "If we're going to have change, we're going to drive it ourselves," even after being invited in by first level management to help) ."
- "If the structure is not there, the change will fail. Lines of authority and control MUST be respected; you cannot directly change what you do not control. You can influence those in control, but you cannot force them. (2) You probably cannot gauge the size of a change to its targets. What you can assess is the organizational structure and the likelihood that the change, however large or small, will succeed."
- "Informal leaders who participate in designing the change effort can sell the effort and deal with objections on a day-to-day basis."
- "Just because change is required for organizational survival does not mean that cold-hearted meanness is required. I have experienced these attitudes, words and actions from executives over the years, and it always bleeds through the communication to the organization and undermines the change efforts."
- "There's a huge difference in outlook between "its OK to fail" (but it would be far better for you if you did not,) and "you have permission to fail." (We expect you might and want you to get the most out of it.)"
- "Unless those seeking change realize that change management requires them to alter their behavior and to develop their own skills, the change will go nowhere for the better."
- "Too many companies spend too much time playing with esoteric theories and "techniques du jour" -- instead of just sticking to the basic practices of effective, hands-on management."
- "Ensuring or obtaining executive sponsorship and creating what Kotter calls a "guiding coalition."
- "Working with and developing a group of informal leaders throughout the organization plus senior management commitment, attention and role modeling."
- "Having buy-in from the top and earning it with the front-line supervisors."
Openness to Change
- "People who are afforded clarity, honesty, dignity, understanding, and compassion have a greater openness to change."
- "Expressing the reasons for change honestly and directly will help people be open to change."
Learning and Training During Change
- "Identify all necessary training and provide it. Try to involve the impacted groups upfront. Pilot the change, if possible."
Measurements and Benchmarks During Change
- "Managers tend to view events as successful without knowing why---they have no measurements or clear expectations about what the change will produce. Staff see the shortcomings and fewer advances. It's vital for the group to know: How will we know that we have gotten to success?"
- "Establish measurement systems around the desired changes and report the results frequently."
- "Data defining the gap between current practices and desired practices is useful in establishing credibility."
More? See People Matter and Urgency During Change.
