Change Management
Research shows there are actions we can take to influence transformation through organisational change management...
Click here for a free resource: Active Steps for yourself or when leading others through transformation or change. This resource gives you clues and strategies for each stage of the change cycle either for yourself or when leading others. This model emphasises drawing on your own learning and experiences. If you would like to know more about implementation please contact Mandy.
You can assess if you would find the resource helpful through this checklist:
Are you experiencing…
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Disruptive and unorganised approaches to implementing change?
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Major resistance to the proposed change or initiative itself?
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Is there lack of stakeholder and leadership buy-in?
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Or no collaborative approach to managing implementations that will change the way people do things?
If you are, you are not alone. Whether you are leading the change, be it change in an organisation, or in your personal life, or part of the change, these experiences are commonplace and normal. In fact, through neuroscience research, we now know that we (humans) are not biologically wired for change especially when we are in stressful situations. However, well-planned change management underpinned by a best practice structure that integrates people, process and progress, do and can work well.
Think of a time when a change has happened to you either by choice or happenstance. How did you manage the change and how did you react? What were your levels of resistance? Did you notice how you communicated? What kinds of support did you need or find? Chances are your own experiences could be similar to what is going on in your own workplace and/or with those you work with. If you had time to arrange and organise things to cope with the changes, what would you have done? This is where change management comes in. Having a dedicated facilitator or leader of change can support teams and organisations to structure change process in parallel to business requirements.
A way of describing change management is that it is a process, with frameworks and techniques to lead the people side of change to achieve the required business outcome. Within this change management often incorporates organisational tools to help individuals make successful personal transitions resulting in the adoption and realisation of change. Another way is to say that change management refers to any approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organisations using methods intended to re-direct the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation that significantly reshapes a company or organisation for change and adoption.
From a change management discipline, it is the guidance for how we prepare, equip and support individuals to successfully adopt change in order to implement programme/projects and drive organisational success and outcomes. While all changes are unique and all individuals are unique, decades of research show there are actions we can take to influence people in their individual transitions. Change management provides a structured approach for supporting the individuals in your organisation to move from their own current states to their own future states.
Transformation is a word we are seeing more often in relation to organisations and business (and people too). There are various interpretations, reactions and opinions. I describe transformation as something that happens through regular iterative change that transforms the way people do things, and business as a whole. Transformation is about bringing people on the journey. It typically involves a change management strategy that has stages and phases of change. This integrates people, process and technology initiatives more closely for transformation to happen and enhance new and innovative outcomes.
New strategies for change management…
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More recently, I’ve adopted the lead of benefits realisation management to identify, plan, measure and monitor benefits (and dis-benefits), links directly to the impact of change. These can be hard and soft benefits when combined with regular lessons, learned processes offer a wealth of data and information for actualising the return on investment and constantly reviewing for quality improvement and on-going learning.
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“Mandy clearly defines issues of importance and clearly communicates effective strategies to negotiate an efficient way forward.”
Dr Tony White
General Practice & Business Director
(on Mandy's change management work)
Mandy is a transformation consultant and brings a wealth of experience in leading complex transformational programs that include; lessons learned, change management, benefits realisation management, communication strategies, stakeholder engagement and leadership coaching. Still, at the forefront of transformation, Mandy continues to be involved in major IT programmes, iterative digital developments, people change, and coaching leaders. Mandy is an excellent facilitator in strategic and workplace settings with all organisational development and change management requirements.
Her career spans working with teams, organisations and leaders throughout New Zealand and Australia and internationally with individual leaders and governance roles. Mandy brings experience from the business, health, education, community and justice sectors in corporate, government and business settings. Mandy has expertise in all aspects of change management utilising change, programme and project methodologies.
Where to next?
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Or read the advantages of combining a Benefits Realisation Management program alongside managing change in your organisation.
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