Bringing new tools into a business is like renovating a house. While the new design promises greater functionality and beauty, without a solid plan, clear communication, and skilled workers, the process can quickly turn into a state of chaos, confusion and disarray. Having a structured approach is crucial to the success of any transformative endeavor. The core principles of change management build trust, foster communication and provide a clear vision for the end goal. In order to dive deeper, let’s first define what ‘change management’ actually means.

Change management is a structured and strategic approach that empowers organizational change. It encompasses a range of processes, tools, and techniques designed to help organizations transition from the current state to a desired future state. As your company undergoes change, it is crucial to navigate these transitions smoothly, fostering alignment, stability, and enhanced performance among all stakeholders. 

The purpose of change management is simple: to ensure that all transformation or new initiatives quickly deliver value to the company. By providing a structured approach, change management minimizes disruptions and maximizes the benefits of change. Some key advantages include:

Communicating the benefits and value of change are key in fostering successful adoption.

When employees understand the ‘why’, they are more likely to embrace the proposed changes. According to Michael Campbell, Director at CMC Partnership, incorporating effective change management practices can increase the likelihood of success for your change initiatives by six times (Source: Prosci). This significant increase in success rates emphasizes the importance of investing in comprehensive change management strategies to not only streamline the transition process, but also to achieve lasting positive outcomes for the organization. Now, how do you establish a strong and robust change management plan within your organization? 

There are three main phases that foster effective change management: 

  1. Plan: Establish a foundation for change 
  2. Deliver: Implement and execute the change 
  3. Sustain: secure and optimize change

Understanding the three main phases of change management provides a comprehensive overview of the process. Let’s dive deeper into the first phase: planning 

Phase 1: Planning

Planning involves creating a detailed plan that identifies the need, scope, and strategy for implementing transformation. This stage lays the groundwork by defining, communicating, and outlining the critical need for change and the envisioned future state. The planning phase orchestrates the long term vision with the plan for a seamless execution. Although these plans might not always be formalized, comprehensive planning remains a crucial step. It crafts a high-level blueprint that outlines established standards while acknowledging the nuanced complexities of your organization.

There are 5 steps within the planning phase that establish the foundation for change: 

By following these steps in the planning phase, you will create confidence in your organization and motivate individuals to properly execute change. 

Transparent Tips

Here are some Transparent Tips to keep in mind when you are navigating the planning phase: 

  1. Create early transparency by ensuring a clear understanding of why the change is necessary. 
  2. Incorporate differing perspectives to ensure differing groups are accounted for within the planning perspective 
  3. Allocate the sufficient resources to keep the project on time, within budget, and support the change process 

With a comprehensive plan in place, you lay a solid foundation for successful change management. By defining the need for change, aligning stakeholders, forming a strategic vision, setting success criteria, and developing a robust communication plan, your organization can confidently embark on its transformation journey. These steps not only create a sense of urgency and clarity but also ensure that all team members are motivated and prepared to execute the change effectively

Now that we’ve covered the critical planning phase, it’s time to move forward to the next stage: delivering the change. This phase focuses on putting the plan into action, ensuring that the vision becomes a reality through careful execution and management of the transformation process. Let’s explore how to effectively implement and deliver the changes necessary for your organization’s success.

Phase 2: Delivering

The delivery phase establishes a framework for actionable implementation, workforce training and development, and barrier removal. It also includes continuous monitoring, feedback collection, and showcasing short-term wins. Now that the long-term vision has been established, this phase outlines how to actualize it. The delivery phase is pivotal for bringing the defined plan to life, ensuring that the actions, training, and changes are not just theoretical, but are effectively applied and embedded within your organization. The key is to instill change while being adaptive and responsive to the ongoing needs and challenges that emerge during the implementation. 

There are 5 steps within the delivering phase that facilitate execution of change: 

By following these steps in the delivery phase, you will ensure that your organization effectively embeds the planned changes and adapts to new ways of working. 

Transparent Tips

Here are some Transparent Tips to keep in mind as you go through the delivery phase:

  1. Use clear communication to ensure it is frequent, transparent, and tailored to various stakeholders 
  2. Allow individuals who are implementing the change to define success metrics, obstacles, tasks, and how they collaborate during and post-change
  3. Anticipate and address conflicts and resistance proactively, while providing the tools and support for resolving disagreements and addressing concerns

These actions not only bring the vision to life but also enable your organization to adapt and respond to emerging challenges, ensuring a smooth transition and sustained momentum.

As we transition to the sustaining phase, the focus shifts to maintaining and optimizing the changes that have been implemented. This final phase is about ensuring the long-term success and stability of the change initiatives, embedding new practices into the organizational culture, and continuously improving processes to meet evolving needs. Let’s take a look at how to secure and optimize the change for lasting impact.

Phase 3: Sustaining 

The sustaining phase is about cultural shifts. To ensure long-term success, organizations must embrace continual adaptation, solidify new practices, assess their impact, celebrate milestones, and provide ongoing support and training. By ingraining this mentality into the culture, your organization will realize both tangible and intangible returns on the investments made throughout the change efforts. Continuous optimization, assessment, and support mechanisms ensure that progress remains dynamic, enabling your organization to leverage these changes for ongoing improvement.

There are 5 steps in the sustaining phase that help secure and optimize change: 

By following these steps in the sustaining phase, your organization can effectively embed the changes into daily operations and culture. 

Transparent Tips

Here are some Transparent Tips to keep in mind as you steer through the sustaining phase:

  1. Ensure that leadership remains committed to the change initiative over time
  2. Continue to invest in ongoing training and development to keep your employees up-to-date and proficient in their new way of working 
  3. Keep the change message alive through consistent communication and share success stories that illustrate the benefits of change 

The sustaining phase is crucial for ensuring that the changes made during the transformation are fully embedded into your organization’s culture and operations. By following the steps outlined—instituting change, maintaining and optimizing practices, establishing incentives, celebrating milestones, and providing ongoing support—you can secure and optimize the change for long-term success. This phase guarantees that the transformation becomes the new norm, delivering continuous value and improvement. As you steer through this phase, remember the importance of commitment, ongoing training, and maintaining a feedback loop to keep the momentum alive and ensure that the changes made are both effective and enduring.

Successful change management is akin to a well-executed renovation, requiring a clear vision, careful planning, skilled execution, and ongoing support. By following change management principles, you ensure smooth and lasting transformation. From laying the groundwork in the planning phase to implementing plans in the delivery phase and embedding changes in the sustaining phase, each step is vital for success. Embracing change management enhances outcomes, builds trust, and improves communication, fostering a more adaptable and resilient organization. 

Learn how we can help your organization with change management initiation and sustainment today!