Every project by definition is a change to something in the business. It's no wonder the Project Management Institute devoted a portion of their certification criteria to managing change.
One would think that approved projects means the organization is ready to change. Nope, no so. To the contrary, projects seem to be feasting grounds for those not wanting change. And sometimes the greatest amount of resistance will come from the manager who approved the project. How crazy is that?
It is as a matter of human nature that people don’t deal well with change. So, it stands to reason that successful projects require project managers that are successful at managing change. So, let's get a grip on this and figure out what we need to do to increase our chances of making great things happen.
First, embrace the idea that change doesn't have to be the enemy. Change CAN be effectively managed regardless of the intensity of the battle.
Second, realize that weak change management practices will amplify the disruptive force of change opposition. Thinking that the opposition will just go away and accept the change could be a big strategic miscalculation. A project manager must have an active and intentional plan to manage change.
One would think that approved projects means the organization is ready to change. Nope, no so. To the contrary, projects seem to be feasting grounds for those not wanting change. And sometimes the greatest amount of resistance will come from the manager who approved the project. How crazy is that?
It is as a matter of human nature that people don’t deal well with change. So, it stands to reason that successful projects require project managers that are successful at managing change. So, let's get a grip on this and figure out what we need to do to increase our chances of making great things happen.
First, embrace the idea that change doesn't have to be the enemy. Change CAN be effectively managed regardless of the intensity of the battle.
Second, realize that weak change management practices will amplify the disruptive force of change opposition. Thinking that the opposition will just go away and accept the change could be a big strategic miscalculation. A project manager must have an active and intentional plan to manage change.
This takes us to the plan. To help minimize the negative effects of change I suggest these six elements be incorporated into the change management plan:
- Agree to Change. Get all key players to agree that a change is needed, what the change will be in general terms, and how long it should take.
- Leaders lead. Change must be communicated from the top down. Leadership must drive the communication effort for the vision and make a strong and compelling case for the change. They must also provide a path to change and insist the organization work together to make it happen.
- Awareness and Training. Every person must be fully aware of how their daily activities will be affected by the change, and they must be trained on how to manage their work when the change is implemented.
- Own it, work it. Each person must take ownership of their role in the change and work to encourage others throughout the process of change.
- Measure and move. Success is measurable; decide what it looks like, how it will be measured, and use the measurement to guide the process.
- Reward the milestone. Group and individual rewards should be known at the start and fairly distributed when milestones are reached.
Our world is in continual motion; change is part of our landscape - like it or not. Every organization trying to compete in today’s market should commit to change - learn it, love it, live it. And project managers - since they are often on the front lines to make change happen, get a grip - make it happen!
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