The long post will come later, or in an article, this is just to clear the air and point out a trend I see.
Change Management is two things-
- The overarching umbrella for the connection between strategy and work.
- The process within the organization through projects, programs and initiatives that helps facilitate that connection.
The umbrella- I call it Horizontal Change so that this definition is not necessary (Until enough clients and practitioners decide that is a good term we will go with the current confusion). Horizontal Change takes strategy and defines it into end states so that people are willing to contribute their skills, competencies and expertise with work. It in no way assumes that working happens automatically, or through coercion or because someone devised a strategy or plan.
The way the work gets done is Change Management (or the second definition sans my own term). That plays out with interviews, brown bags, on line and off line communication formal and informal, training, development, leadership, leadership development, timelines, PMO’s and project tasks, some brainstorming of strategic implementation (which is NOT strategy or even necessarily the implementation of strategy) and a lot of effort and list-crossing-off.
I have yet to see an organization that creates and differentiates the two from the top down. You can imagine I am waiting (and searching ) for the dream client to shine a light and make this crystal clear. I have yet to see an organization that has a true grasp all the way through of the connection between end states and the work, energy and motivation of individuals (the internal practitioners and the HR departments are howling in protest…).
The trend-
Is to try to do this. Before I got on my soap box, organic versions of this were popping up all over the place. Unfortunately, the meaning of organic has nothing to do with senior leadership and the letter “C”. However the light shines, however the understanding begins, the start of the trend is a good sign.
