If it feels like Change Management is being talked about more than ever, you’re not imagining it. But why is it suddenly in the spotlight? This got Bec Cortesi, our Head of Change Management and Business Analysis, thinking about what’s behind the growth in interest for Change Management services…
The surge in interest: Why Now?
Could it be due to organisations continuing to face unprecedented change due to digital transformation, economic shifts and evolving customer expectations? Perhaps the continued rise of hybrid work, AI and automation is forcing companies to rethink how they engage employees and adapt processes? Maybe regulatory and compliance changes are adding pressure on organisations to implement structured transitions effectively? Any or all of these could be the reason, but whatever has sparked this upswing in interest in Change Management, it does appear that organisations have a growing appreciation that people are key to project success – and by understanding and leveraging human dynamics, this can be the difference between success and failure.
Change Fatigue vs Change Readiness
To foster a Change Ready culture, organisations must first acknowledge and resolve any Change Fatigue, driven by relentless transformation and uncertainty, that may exist. This can quickly lead to Change Resistance – where individuals disengage or push back due to exhaustion and may require considerable time and recalibration.
However, it is important to note that not all resistance stems from fatigue – it could be from a lack of clarity on the ‘why’ and ‘what’s in it for me’, that feeling of being excluded from the vision or having uncertainty about one’s role in the future state. This too, can adversely impact an organisation’s ability to adopt change and keep pace with competitors.
Consequently, an organisation must acknowledge Change Fatigue, and address Change Resistance, to support a move towards a Change Ready state. Individuals need to feel involved, supported and that communication is clear and transparent (where possible and appropriate). Only then can the desired shift to seeing change as an enabler rather than a disruption, be achieved.
The Business Case for Change Management
There is plenty of evidence, readily available, showing projects with robust Change Management are significantly more likely to achieve their objectives. For instance, Prosci® research has long since championed that projects with excellent Change Management are seven times more likely to meet or exceed their goals, compared to those with poor Change Management1. Studies also suggest that projects with Change Management embedded from the start, see better ROI2.
Given these stats, the justification for Change Management on a project is simple. Change success is about people, not just technology or processes, and having a resource focused on the people side of the change can address those ‘human’ reasons for project failure – miscommunication, lack of engagement, resistance to change, or poor leadership – increasing the chance of success.
Change Management: More than just Training and Communication
While many still view Change Management as running some training sessions or sending out a few emails – you know, ‘that fluffy stuff’ (even typing it makes my skin crawl) – true Change Management involves stakeholder engagement, leadership coaching, reinforcement strategies and addressing cultural shifts.
The role of Change Management also works to align change with company values, business goals and employee well-being. When an organisation prioritises such alignment, engagement and support, the value that Change Management can bring is enhanced.
How Organisations are rethinking Change Management
Historically, Change Management was often wheeled in after resistance appears, to ‘solve a specific situation’ – it was very reactive, if it existed at all.
In more recent times, we are seeing Change Management enjoy a move to the proactive end of the spectrum, integrated from project inception, where strategies can be applied to avoid, or at least minimise, resistance. New ways of measuring and tracking adoption and engagement analytics are also becoming more accessible and easier to use to support this view and approach.
For organisations embarking on distinct projects, without an inhouse Change capability, the emergence of Change-as-a-Service (CaaS) models reflects the variable nature of Change Management and offers the relevant support for periods where demand fluctuates throughout a project – from intensive early-stage planning to focused engagement activities during key milestones such as training, go-live and addressing resistance.
The Future of Change Management: What’s Next?
The increasing role of behavioural science and psychology in designing change strategies are fast becoming a key part of Change Management. Together with AI driven Change Management tools, organisations can seek help to predict adoption challenges and customise interventions to support them as they embark on significant change programmes. And for those projects utilising Agile methodologies, where Change Management is included, the process for supporting continuous transformation is simplified significantly.
References:
1 Prosci Blog – The Correlation Between Change Management And Project Success
2 Change First – White Paper – The ROI for Change Management
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