Change Management

Big change around the corner?

Thinking of setting up some kind of group to organize and consolidate your change work?

STOP!

The end of that thought about the change group thing is where you need to pause.

Do this wrong and I guarantee you will reinforce your current problems and stroll along with them into your future.

Enough organizations have gone before you to illustrate what works and what does not.

Change Entity is For?

Most change management tends to jump quickly to the to-do list (and so it fails in some way).

Most organizations that want to set up a change group follow the same process (and so the groups are busy hives of the same status quo).

Ask, and answer, why you want this group. (And you thought gathering “best practices” was the first step).

I will change a word to help you- group becomes “entity”. Change Entities are different.

Genuine Transformation

If your organization is about to go through genuine transformation (transformation is an overused word sometimes used disingenuously) a change entity might make sense. In this case the entity needs to be autonomous, it has to be connected as a partnership to the CEO/Top Leader and it has to have leverage and visibility.

For the really big stuff it absolutely HAS to have early outside influence. We just do not see the future from our own present without help.

“Why” in this case is to craft, guide and build toward a brand new future.

Strategy Integration

Does your organization come up with plans and then pass them off to someone or some function to “implement”? Is that really working for you? Could you make a list of how that is not working?

A Change Entity placed high enough, with enough autonomy, can knit together strategy and work. One well designed (outside influence set up correctly will help here too) can even help to craft smart strategy. If not crafting then planting the seeds for smart ideas.

Implement was in quotes earlier. Integrate and implement have a different feel and a different meaning. Implementation ends, integration continues. As you are thinking through this change entity thing keep in mind times when continuation makes sense and times when beginnings and endings need to be clear.

Organizational Development

Are you short of competencies?

Is half of your stakeholder base contracted?

Is the reason it is tough for your organization to change because the resource loading takes so long (and never really fills needs)?

You can create a change entity that pays attention to old fashioned OD. Use projects, programs and initiatives as the forums to build skill and competencies. A change group can pay attention to who those externals are and how that knowledge and capability is being transferred to internal resources.

Improve Project Process

This is the most common reason Change Functions (a purposeful change of our word) are created.

The project teams are not doing their job.

STOP again. It is likely not their fault, but a combination of many things, that is making projects “fail”.

A well constructed change entity that knows CM is very different from project management, can help address the people equation, the project process itself and the ties to strategy and competency building.

Has to be said- do this on your own and things will get MUCH, MUCH worse. This is a scenario where a trusted adviser is your best bet. That and some dedicated, talented internal leaders.

This is the most common kind of change group with a long list of  “should not have done’s”. The amazing thing about these groups is that they do not see the damage they are doing. They often have motivators beyond actually getting change to happen…

Your Future

Maybe you just want to make the future arrive smoothly?

Maybe you are a young organization that will most likely change soon, but you are not sure when or what that might be?

Maybe you want to build capability and capacity?

A change group calmly designed and put together before that fact (the fact being inevitable change) gets your organization ready with all the tools, processes and a few good people, to tackle that upcoming change.

That entity can morph and grow when the change arrives. In the mean time it can also help facilitate our other categories of project process and strategy integration. If you truly are small all that is close together now- manageable.

Are you thinking of a Change Entity for your organization? First ask for what. Good answers might be: true transformational change, strategic integration, organizational development, improving your project process or smartly preparing for your organizational future.

Technorati Tags: center of excellence, Change Entity, change function, change management blog, change management consultant, internal change group