50% of change initiatives fail and only 34% are a clear success.
Organizations can’t fully benefit from new work processes or the implementation of new technologies until the people are on-board.
This is particularly true today because COVID-19 has created a situation where people are already facing uncertainty. In times like these, if there is additional change, it may not be well-received.
… but effective change management can help.
It can reduce the risk of a new system or process being rejected by the enterprise.
Research from Gartner shows that a typical organization undertook five major firmwide changes in the past three years. It further goes on to highlight that 75% of the companies expect to launch more major change initiatives in the coming three years.
So, what are the considerations organizations should have in place to ensure successful change management?
I. Focus on the user
A survey from Gartner reinforces this. Insights from over 6,500 employees and 100+ CHROs around the globe showed that the best organizations rely on their workforce, not executives, to lead transformational change.
The success of your initiative depends on how convinced your teams are to change their behaviours and adopt new processes. Your employees will work more effectively if they have a clear picture of the future and why the change is necessary.
This is why communication and feedback from employees and teams are the cornerstones of every change management strategy.
II. Buy-in from all stakeholders
Just like it is important to include employees in the process, it is important to communicate the plans to other key stakeholders such as your customers.
To promote buy-in from those impacted, you need an effective communication plan so they know what is happening and have some opportunity to provide comments, if not direct input.
III. Increase transparency and reduce misinformation
Transparency is important for companies at any given time but it’s probably the most important when change is underway.
If you don’t provide updated information to your stakeholders, you can count on your company grapevine to rush in and fill that void.
This not only results in a waste of time but speculation can negatively impact the morale of your workforce and wrong information can create serious issues such as high employee turnover.
IV. Manage budget and scope
When it comes to updating business processes or implementing new technologies, a number of steps are involved. That is why it is critical that everyone knows how much you are doing now and how much will be done later. This helps you in keeping track of the activities as well as the associated budgets.
V. Keeping regular business on track
It is easy to get caught up in the process when you’re implementing new and exciting solutions. Though, it is important to ensure that your customers are your priority and the on-going change does not impact your day-to-day operations in a negative way.
At SHEA Global, we are not just focused on processes and products; we understand that change is all about the people.
Reach out to us to learn how you can enhance your adaptive skills and move forward with change quickly and effectively.