Digital Projects without change management, limits sustainability and success

    Have you experienced a project that was a great solution, with brilliant technology/systems and brilliant project execution, but completely failed to achieve ROI (utilization, productivity, efficiency and cost effective)? If so, it was most likely because the solution implemented did not address the change resistance.

    The people side of change should always lead digital/transformation projects to realize maximum benefits and sustain the impact. People over profits means an enterprise greatest asset is its people. In practice, people (customer and employees) should be taken along the project execution journey.
     
    Consider incorporating a structured and deliberate approach to managing change and addressing change resistance in your next project. 

    But why change Management?

    • Change management is structured and deliberate process of driving the people side of change in order to achieve the initiative benefits
    • Companies that drive change management move from adapting to change to thriving in change
    • Change management addresses change resistance at an individual level, there by enabling organization change
    • Change management will enable the capability of organization to change by allowing people to grow into change, have the right capability and develop the right attitude
    • Change management focuses on benefit realisation , and not the activities of the projects.
    • Change management will enable accelerated adoption, increase utilization and productivity of digital solutions
    • Change management addresses both positive and negative culture, mindsets and behaviors
    • Change processes work when one understand the why, and not only the how.

     1. Change Management function

    Project set-up, strategic planning, management, monitoring and tracking

    1. Leadership Buyin

    Facilitate buy-in at all levels of leadership and enable leadership to cascade change throughout organization

    1. Stakeholder Management

    Strategic alignment on engagements with key internal and external stakeholders and monitoring

    1. Organization wide communication

    Develop strategic communication material and coordinate divisional communiqué through customised platforms

     
    1. Capability building

    Identify and address skill gaps required to implement required change 

    6. Ongoing management of change resistance

     

      How does one effectively implement change management, its by using change agents?

     

    Why use change agents?

    • Improve performance through changed behaviour and mindsets.
    • Change agents can introduce new ways of doing things by implementing initiatives and through positive role modeling

    Who are the change agents?

    • Individuals at all levels of the organisation who act as drivers of change
    • Early adopters of new values, actions, and skills required by the company
    • Individuals able to command credibility, respect, and influence from their colleagues irrespective of the formal reporting structure

    What we want to use change agents for?

    • As a “multiplier” or “snowball effect” to accelerate the change process and benefit realisation or as capability builders, e.g., in a MC&B* training program
    • To accelerate the building of trust, understanding, and implementation of change in their selected areas
    • To help deliver initiatives focused on mindsets and behaviour
    • To help identify potential gaps/new opportunities

    MC&B* - Mind-sets, capabilities and behaviours