Coping with poorly planned change

So, you are sponsoring or have received a new initiative, organizational change, or system/application rollout that you need to implement in your organization. You know the new system will create disruptions, but you’re not sure how much. You also know from listening to other colleagues that a change management process will be helpful in improving the probability of success. You haven’t budgeted much for the change management side of the equation, as the “hard” costs of the project have eaten up most of it. Your boss has said, unequivocally, that there is no more money this year. The main problem he faces is that there has been virtually no communication with the end users up to this point, and he fears that the project will collapse.

What is the probability that your project will be successful? What should you do? Well, to be blunt, the probability of being successful without a change management process is about the same as flipping a coin; in fact, in your case, much less. Indeed, one of the most common causes of failure for a new initiative is lack of planning, little or no meaningful stakeholder engagement, and haphazard execution. If the benefits are not credible; either the stakeholders are not “on board” or at least not diametrically opposed; or there is a real or perceived perception that the initiative is poorly thought out, then you have a very big problem. At this point, money or budget constraints will become background noise within your “hierarchy of concerns.”

At this point, you, as the project manager or sponsor, will feel a great deal of fear mixed with frustration and possibly even anger that your hands have been tied and you have no support in this task. Fear not, for all may not be lost.

If the project or initiative is ready to “go live” and nothing has been done to prepare your target audience, you may have a problem that is outside the scope of the advice I offer. However, if at least some of your audiences (primary, secondary, and tertiary users) are aware and some engagement has occurred, then you are “leading edge.” Remember Lewin’s paradigm shift: Thaw – Change – Refreeze.

The following steps can be used to minimize the damage that will inevitably occur as a result of your organization’s poor planning regarding this change. Your thoroughness in following these steps will determine the extent of the discord and the disruption that will occur. Not make mistakes; if you do nothing, then the probability of a massive outage will be high. However, if you do something, anything, the interrupt will subside. Although it may seem like anything you try will result in a fire, remember that if you hadn’t acted, your situation would be much worse than it is.

Step 1: Scan your audience, environment, and interrelationships between the two

Scan your primary, secondary and tertiary audiences and create a profile right away. Please identify your age, gender, general belief system (i.e. adventurous or averse to change), length of service, unionized or non-unionized, trust/distrust of management, self-employed or highly supervised, general level of knowledge about your jobs , interactions between and informal levels in the workplace hierarchy (could also include corporate versus regional), supervisor-subordinate relationships, and awareness of the impending change initiative.

The more information you can collect right now, the more effective your strategies will be as you begin to execute.

Step 2: Identify the general level of awareness and acceptance

If the audience has a general understanding of the change, then this is good. If they are not aware of the change, then this is bad. Suppose they are somewhere in the middle. Even if they have some knowledge, they won’t know the details of how the change will affect their roles or the roles of their work unit or the organization as a whole. It’s up to you to find out (through whatever means or sources of information possible) how the change will affect people in your organization (starting with those directly affected by the initiative). If people can prepare (are exposed to information) in a meaningful and constructive way, and are allowed to “step up” and take control, even if the situation seems chaotic and unmanageable, then they will feel more comfortable with your situation. and they will adapt faster than if they are not given information.

Recall the following formula that provides a general rule of thumb for overcoming resistance to change (Beckhard & Harris, 1987):

D (dissatisfaction) x v (vision) X F (first steps) > R (resistance to change)

If your audiences are collectively dissatisfied with the status quo; the vision you paint is realistic and achievable and is perceived to take you to a “better place”; the first steps you have taken are reasonable, effective and move towards a solution; and these factors taken collectively are greater than the aggregate resistance to change, then your job as a change manager will be simpler than if the reverse is true for one or more of these factors.

Step 3: Articulate the vision (no bullshit, just simple truths) about what to expect

Develop a clear and concise real world scenario that is interspersed with practical examples of what will happen when the dust settles. Make it believable and “identifiable”, so that people can visually see and conceptually understand what it is they will experience. Understand that people learn differently and that some are more conceptual while others are more visual. In addition, the vision must include both an intellectual and emotional component, both of which must supersede the current fear-based and misinformed vision that has likely evolved in the minds of your target audience by default.

People respond to honesty. They may not like the message or the messenger, but when the dust settles, they will almost always say, “At least she/he was honest with us.” So, based on the previous two situational analyses, develop a clear, concise, positively framed but realistically delivered message (for each target audience) in language each audience understands and can relate to. Do not use phrases such as: “strategic importance, sound decision making, service improvements, streamlined service delivery networks”, or anything that could confuse or obfuscate (do not use “obfuscate”) the true nature of the changes or what can be expected. The strategy here is to make sure it “provides enough information, the right information, tailored for the specific audience, and delivered in a positive way.”.

Step 4: Identify your change agents and get the message out

Remember, “no one is an island.” Immediately identify a small group of change agents who can help you in your goal. This is important for a number of reasons, too numerous to explain here and discussed extensively in the equipment-related literature. The point is, just do it like you’ll be glad you did. But be careful with your selections.

Change agents may be in favor or not committed to the change initiative. The most important precondition is that they understand it. If they are in favor of the initiative, then their job is easy. Simply enter your message and send it clearly and specifically (repeat as needed). Change agents should be people who are respected for their knowledge and who will have “mastery” or influence over other people in the department. Ideally, these people will be good at what they do, that is, technically sound and personable. For those who do not accept the change or are not committed to the change, build on the seed of the possible positive impacts of the change. Be sure to keep an “ear to the ground” regarding the interactions between the people you bring into your inner circle. Be very careful who you select and how they are performing. Change agents are often “organizational” focused and advocate for organizational improvements. Change agents may or may not be formal leaders, but they certainly are.

Whatever you do, don’t elect a change agent who has taken a stand against the change initiative, regardless of how much “influence” they have. In my experience, and despite what many textbooks say, co-opting people with generally negative dispositions or initiative orientations is a high-risk proposition. Often these people have a lot to lose if they are persuaded to support the initiative and then the initiative fails. They will always…repeat, always…predetermine the “I told you so” or “sabotage” the project at some point if their own personal needs for power, control, or acceptance are not met. At a minimum, they will exonerate themselves of any responsibility by taking the retroactive position that “they tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.” Be careful.

Step 5: Continue to message and support your change agents

Please continue to articulate the message and support your change agents in their efforts. By now, you will have repeatedly informed everyone associated with the project in an honest, direct, and positive manner that disruptions will occur and that they will be manageable and brief. Your audience will be aware of the kinds of things that will happen and that some learning will be required. When people aren’t surprised, but expect and are prepared to deal with anticipated or known problems (note, I don’t say “challenges”) in a change initiative, they tend to handle it. Your goal here is to create a sense of competence and ownership or the “routine” around problem solving. Part of your job will be to manage the surprises that occur (some may even surprise you). If your audiences are surprised by something important, they may panic. Try to avoid panic whenever possible, and treat every problem as something that can and will be solved. Almost everyone likes to solve problems, so creating this type of environment will improve the probability of success.

Step 6: The magic of time

During the change initiative, keep emphasizing that the “fullness of time” will see an evolution of the current disruption as just another “day in the life.” The new initiative will become woven into the organizational culture (or may become the culture) and the benefits of the new way of doing things will far outweigh the costs. Additionally, those who managed during the change will have a new set of skills to rely on when future changes occur in the organization. Change is a part of the working world now. The days of 30 years of service in the same company, without any changes, are over: the economy, technology, social and environmental factors have taken care of this. Be sure to constantly stress that problems that arise now will drag on at some point, probably sooner rather than later, and refocus on the benefits the new environment/system offers that will improve and overshadow the “old way” of doing things. stuff.

Good luck in your change initiative. If you need help, call Busby & Associates and we’ll be happy to assist you with your current and future switching exercises.