As change management consultants, we are attuned to business trends and their implications for implementation. The next wave of change management methodology application may well be in building a "collaborative culture." The advent of social technology has brought with it increased emphasis on increasing communications and collaborations with external customers. But the real value of collaboration is largely untapped.
Can a change management methodology be the single solution to creating a change-adept organization? You might be surprised to learn that we would say no!
Organizations that are looking to survive and even thrive in a volatile economic environment recognize that being “change-adept” is more critical than ever. We all know that there is virtually an epidemic of change in organizations today. At the same time, there is not enough attention being paid to how to actually implement all those changes. Practically speaking, we need to clarify how to get from “here to there.” And it requires multiple capabilities, "including but not limited to" a change management methodology!
Change management models are all theoretically sound, so the challenge is to find one that will really increase the likelihood of benefit realization for your projects. After all, it's not just about finding a change management model for the HR, OD, or Change Management professionals.
If you are applying the AIM (Accelerating Implementation Methodology) change management methodology to your transformation or other changes, you can measure what level of readiness you actually have. While resistance to change is natural and inevitable, a thorough analysis of the specific reasons why and how individuals will resist the change project is critical to increasing the probability of implementation success.
If your organization is embarking on enterprise-wide change be aware that your organizational structure has a major impact on Sponsorship.
Some organizational changes are compliance-driven; some are commitment driven; some have elements of both. Each approach has predictable outcomes, upsides, and downsides. One of the values of having a change management methodology that is tactical and operational is that you get guidance on how you need to implement differently, depending on the nature of your change.
One of the most common questions we get about our AIM change management methodology (also known as the Accelerating Implementation Methodology) is both simple and complex. The question is, "What is the best way to get a change management methodology introduced into our organization?"
While a practical change management methodology like the Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) can be useful in managing resistance to change, no methodology will eliminate resistance.
Resistance to change is inevitable, and it is not logical (remember that resistance is a function of the degree of disruption the change represents, from the Frame of Reference of the Targets.) So you will never communicate your way out of resistance or get adoption of changes by presenting arguments explaining the rationale of your change, especially from the 1,000 foot corporate level.
What's the difference between a Change Agent and a Change Champion? The AIM Change Management Methodology describes the roles like this in our CAST of Characters (Champions, Agents, Sponsors, and Targets):
If you are seeking transformational change, you will need a change management methodology that unifies the organization with one approach, one vocabulary, and one set of tools. While leaders may resist the need to invest, you just can't overcome the cultural barriers to transformational change that most organizations face:
