Five Insight of Organizational Change Management Capability

 Change capability is one of the strategic capabilities which underpin successful execution!

The speed of change is accelerated, enterprise agility –the ability to adapt to the change,  is becoming the key factor in driving business success and gaining the long-term competitive advantage. But how do you build an organizational change management capability?

Navigating through questioning: Why do they want to do this, what outcome do they need, how could they do this, etc, using change initiation and management disciplines to answer this question and design their target operating model first. The following questions may help you shape what this organization will look for building:  

·      -- What is the capability on demand? Do you need tools? a COE (Center of Excellence)? Consulting or project staff? Is demand constant or erratic? 

       --What are your objectives and how will this align with the company's overall strategy/objectives? 

·         --What services or process will you need to underpin the change capability? 

·       -How will you best staff and organize the department to achieve these goals?   

·       - How to measure the maturity of change management capability?

You need to build this changing culture into the project management practices: So it can be self-sustaining. They will have the sponsors directly experience the change that they want to put the company through! The knowledge and skill base of internal practitioners should be integrated at the Project or Program Management Office level. This core group that you build may be around until you have developed the maturity level you have targeted. And the emphasis must switch from implementation to adoption which, by the way, is a distinguishing competitive advantage from other companies.

Talent is the Key: Discuss with IT expertise (System Engineer, Programmer, Software development manager, etc.) and business talent as well, as they have good knowledge/experience for the system, process, and project management: 1) check staff's knowledge/experience first, and if they have, 2) make knowledge center to practical use. The concept of change management is wide, and there are various approaches. 3) Look for talent with extensive change experience and has a grasp on managing the human side of change such as perception, communications. 

Organizational Change Management capability can be built into the organizational culture:
The approach would require the following:

      (1)  Germinating (Seeding) a culture of change- Shared vision and values- leadership as a role model;

2     (2)  Clarity and transparency in communications (strategic initiatives) thereby nipping uncertainty, ambiguity and doubt which reduces resistance when implementing change.

3    (3)  Continuous engagement through formal and informal methods.

4    (4)  Train employees across all levels as change agents / managers with leaders being enablers and facilitators.

5    (5)   Leaders actively and visibly sponsoring and participating in the change process. 

     (6)  Creating Centers of Excellence and high-performance culture that can adopt and adapt to change during the change process

7    ( 7) ‘Harden’ the soft –measure the culture via KPIs, and sustain the culture through change management and PMO practices.

The logical scenario to manage change life cycle and build change management capability:

     1)  Develop the initial value proposition and determine demand and estimated pipeline 

2    2)  Assess current state capability in change management (people, process, technology) 

3    3)  Develop the target state change management capability – and identify the gaps 

4    4)   Establish change management capability leadership practice

5    5)   Source appropriate skills to deliver desired capability (internal / market / partners) 

      6)   Establish change management team and enable them with detailed methodology, tools, products, services against value proposition identified in step 1.

      7)   Integrate change management methodology into IT project management life cycles 

8  8)  Identify change agents within the business; educate champions and establish these as a key element for change management 

   9) Get early wins to demonstrate value, sustain the change for the long term.

   Change capability is one of the strategic capabilities which underpin successful execution and move the organization, from reacting to proactive, from stagnation to growth and  from efficiency to agility. 

Posted in: Change Management,Enterprise Capability,IT Transformation