Change Management

What Is Change Management?

The definition of change management is the
process of effectively guiding individuals and
groups through change, planning for change,
overcoming resistance to change, and
helping organizations to thrive during
change.
Change management is accomplished
through diverse tools and leadership
techniques, understanding of human
behavior, budget items that support change
management, consistent change
frameworks, and well-crafted
implementation plans.

What Are the Elements of Change

Management?
The elements of change management are
divided among the following three
categories:
Individual Change
Individual change management is the skill
of assimilating, absorbing change, and
being more resilient when change occurs.
It is about how you, as an individual in your
own workspace, deal with change when it
is thrust upon you. Individual change is
about
•Learning how to effectively navigate
change.
•Developing the ability to be flexible and
adapt to change.
•Confronting your own emotions and
reactions that arise as a result of the
change.
•Gathering information and staying current
and how change may impact you.
•Creating a mindset shift or adjusting your
mind frames to embrace change.
•Learning to create change, develop
creative energy and shape your future.
Leading Organizational Change
In organizational change management, leaders create a
plan to guide change in individuals, groups, and teams.
For those servicing in leadership roles, it is important to
understand:
•How to help individuals build new behavioral habits
during a change
•What motivates people to try a new way of working and
continue in it
•The way most people experience change
•The needs people have during a change event
•How to find moments when people are open to learning
•Finding change champions (the people who employees
are likely to listen to)
•The types of information employees need during change
•Management-oriented information from the disciplines
of psychology and neuroscience
•Thoughtfully define the people and groups that must go
through changes
•Write out the exact ways in which they must change
•Create a detailed plan for supplying individuals and
groups with the information, training, and coaching
necessary for these changes to go smoothly
•Keep project plans out in the open, get approval for
them, and make sure they’re supported
Enterprise Change
Enterprise change management is a long-term endeavor in
which an entire organization adopts change-oriented initiatives,
projects, policies and processes. It helps an organization to
adapt or be ready to change in response to both internal and
external change forces

Internal Change
•New strategies
•Growth
•Financial issues
•Culture
•Mergers and acquisitions
•Leadership Changes or Changes with Employees

External Change
•Customer Requirements
•Competition
•Industry shifts
•Laws and regulations

How Do You Manage Change in an Organization?

Change management is primarily about managing all
the dynamics that come with a change event. Change
on a larger scale can only happen as change is
accepted and assimilated on an individual level. This is
where the change gains traction. Therefore, leaders
should learn the principles and frameworks of change
management and use them to guide individuals during
change events (big or small).
How Can We Manage Resistance to Change in the Workplace?
One of the most common reasons for resistance to change is poor
communication. Leaders should communicate frequently and foster
effective dialogue. As you manage your own change and help others
navigate change, you can minimize resistance by communicating :

•The exact details of the change, including why the change is

happening.
•Why it is happening now
•What will happen and when
•The step-by-step implementation plan
•Who will be responsible for various aspects of the change
•What aspects of the change employees will be responsible for
•The reasons that the organization needs the upcoming change
•What problems it will help to solve
•How the change will benefit the company, including any available
examples and case studies
•Why the change must happen before a deadline (if one exists)
•The metrics that will be used to measure the success of the change
•How employees and leadership can maintain a useful dialogue
during the changes
•How each person, including leaders, will be accountable for his or
her part
•How employees can receive training and coaching for the change
Both before and during the change, engage employees in dialogue.
Ensure their concerns and ideas are listened to and respected. Give
them many channels of communication, and consider any useful
feedback that could improve the change management process.
Recognize that a change will disrupt employees’ everyday workflow
and that they will experience the fear of the unknown when hearing
about it. Communicate to fill their informational gaps, even if they
might not like the answers.
How Can Managers Create a Culture for Change?
Change management is easier when you create a
culture of employees who are ready for change.
Effective change management starts as early as the
hiring process and continues with regular practices and
policies.
During job interviews, hiring managers can ask
prospective employees how comfortable they’d be if
they suddenly have to move to a new team, learn new
skills, or implement a new system or process. State that
changes must happen occasionally.
Then, keep your employees in a change mindset by:
•Writing the idea of change into your mission and vision
statements
•Giving employees many training opportunities
•Finding new challenges for employees
•Highlight successful change initiatives (big or small)
during meetings
•Creating occasional small changes, such as new
seating arrangements
What Is Change Management Training?
Effective change management training gives
leaders the following change management
skills:

•Adapting to changes in their own work and

dealing with their own emotions
•Providing skills, tools, and frameworks for
managing change with others
•Persuading employees that specific changes
are beneficial
•Communicating the details of the change, the
compelling reasons for change, and
understanding the needs of different people
around the change.
•Turning change management into a
competitive advantage
A good change management training course
helps leaders discover their natural strengths
and weaknesses. It shows them how to build
specific plans to improve the changing culture
of their organizations. It gives them feedback
from experienced trainers to improve their
plans.
How Can Leaders Improve Change Management?
Through training, individual study, mentorship, and practice,
leaders can assimilate the core ideas and processes of
change management. Leaders can learn from case studies,
training exercises, and practical application to their work
roles. Leaders can also learn from and effective change
management leadership training program.
A leader improving his or her change management skills
should especially focus on how to:
•Recognize when a vital change should be made in his or her
organization
•Be an example of the practices of adapting to change
•Notice and respond to the normal human reactions to
change
•Guide others through change in such a way as to improve
the organization
•Calmly recognize and overcome resistance to change
•Effectively communicate the details of and reasons for
change
•Build a workplace culture that is open to change
•Partner with other leaders to get feedback on how to
improve
•Write effective change plans
Change can be hard and most of us tend to desire the safety
of the familiar. However, when change is managed properly,
your organization can both survive and even thrive in the
midst of uncertain change.