Change Agents: Do You Know Who Your Sponsors Are and What They are Doing?

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Dec 08, 2016 @ 09:45 AM

We say that “Sponsorship” is the most critical success factor in ensuring a fast and successful implementation of any type of business change. But as a Change Agent, do you know who your Sponsors actually are, and maybe more importantly, what they are doing to ensure the success of your change project?  These are critically important questions, but their answers may not necessarily be all that obvious. 

Lessons Learned During Transformational Change: Look to Your Past to Inform Your Present

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Dec 01, 2016 @ 10:12 AM

One of the critical elements for achieving implementation success on a transformational change is knowing what the climate is like for the change you are trying to introduce. Your project isn't being introduced into a hermetically-sealed environment.  Instead, you are implementing your change into an environment that is being significantly shaped by perceptions of past experiences, and what is going on in the present.  That’s an important AIM change management methodology principle: No change occurs in isolation. It occurs in the context of all those priorities competing for resources (stress) and all the lessons previously learned about implementation (history). 

Choosing the Right Change Management Methodology: 5 Key Factors for Your Evaluation Checklist

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Nov 17, 2016 @ 11:38 AM

In today’s fast-paced world, no organization has time for unimportant activities. The time your Sponsors and Change Agents spend on implementation needs to be laser-focused on what will really move the dial in getting a change implemented quickly. That’s why it’s crucial to make sure you have what you need to be successful when you’re selecting a change management methodology.  

Change Management and Operational Excellence: A Great Solution Poorly Implemented Won’t Produce Sustained Adoption

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Nov 10, 2016 @ 11:54 AM

One of the most significant stumbling blocks that business process re-engineering initiatives encounter is in the deployment phase of the process improvement process. There is logic and data to suggest that although statistical analyses can improve organizational effectiveness, reduce unnecessary activities, increase productivity, and reduce costs, no process improvement or culture change will occur unless solutions can be implemented through to utilization and Return on Investment. 

Survival Kit for Mergers & Acquisitions:  Same Bed, Different Dreams

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Oct 27, 2016 @ 10:57 AM

Another “mega-merger” hit the headlines this week when AT&T agreed to purchase Time Warner for a whopping $85.4 billion dollars.  If the deal is approved, it will be the largest acquisition of 2016.  Whether we’re talking about a massive transformation such as this one, or a smaller scale situation, Mergers and Acquisitions require the bringing together of two cultures. And culture change is not a quick or simple task. 

20 Questions You Need to Be Able to Answer About Your Project Right Now

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Oct 20, 2016 @ 11:14 AM

One of the foundations of IMA’s proprietary Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) is, “In order to achieve value realization, you must first identify the “human objectives” for your change." {Tweet This}  But what exactly are the “human objectives” and why is it so important to pay attention to them? 

Change the Change or Change the Culture

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Oct 13, 2016 @ 11:03 AM

Creating a cultural fit is an important element of the AIM Change Management Methodology. Your organization’s culture is arguably your greatest strategic asset.  Your competition can potentially match your product or service. Competition can create a marketing strategy that’s equally powerful. But no competition will have your culture. 

Follow This Prescription for Healthcare Transformation Success

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Oct 06, 2016 @ 10:54 AM

Transformational change can be found across almost every organization in just about every industry. But, truth be told there may not be an industry undergoing more significant and rapid change than Healthcare.  In addition to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the Healthcare industry is experiencing a myriad of other changes.  The implementation of cross-functional patient care models, cost-efficiency driven operational changes, new facilities, and ongoing compliance requirements are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Change Management for Project Teams Starts from the Inside

by Paula Alsher & Amy Madson on Thu, Sep 29, 2016 @ 10:51 AM

Here’s the reality: Many project teams are focused solely on time and budget and the technical project milestones. All good, but that just will get the team to “installation!” The team is off and running, but if the end-goal is, as it should be, business realization (also known as value realization, ROI, or benefit realization) the project is sure to fall short in the end in achieving sustained change and long-term business results.

Don’t Talk ‘Change Management Speak’ to Your Sponsors

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Sep 22, 2016 @ 02:22 PM

“My Sponsor doesn’t care about Change Management.”  No surprise. If you want to connect with people, you have to speak their language, not yours. If you go to France, the best option is to speak French.  Going to Italy? It’s a good idea to purchase an Italian dictionary. That’s why Don Harrison, founder of the Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) Change Management Methodology says, “When you go to Sponsorland, you need to speak the language of Sponsors.”  It’s why we spend a lot of time practicing Sponsor Contracting in the AIM Accreditation program.