Change is inevitable.

There will always be new challenges to rise to and changes to adapt to, especially in these unpredictable times.

While change can be daunting, when done right, change management can help ensure that change happens smoothly.

What is change management and how can you utilise it to make change easier in your organisation?

What is Change Management?

Change management is a structured approach to implementing change in the workplace.

It aims to make change less stressful for all stakeholders involved and is designed to make adapting to change easier.

There are four key principles of change management:

• Understand change
  
  
• Plan change
  
  
• Implement change
  
  
• Communicate change

Understand Change

Before you can successfully implement change in your workplace, you need to have a clear understanding of the reason for and impact of the change.

Before proposing the change to your employees, you should think about:

• The purpose of the change
  
  
• The objectives of the change
  
  
• The financial impact of the change
  
  
• The effect the change will have on your employees
  
  
• The organisational impact of the change

This will allow you to better promote the benefits of the change and will ensure that you are prepared to deal with any queries or concerns your people may have.

Plan Change

Effective change doesn’t just happen with luck; it is thoroughly thought-through, planned and managed.

When planning change, there are three key aspects you should consider:

• How will you get buy-in to the change?
  
  
• How will you implement the change?
  
  
• How will you support your employees?

This will help you create an effective plan that will help ensure that change is implemented and adapted to smoothly.

Implement Change

The next step is to put the change into practice.

There are many ways you can do this, but these are three of the most common change models used by organisations:

• Kotter’s 8-step Change Model
  
  
• Change Curve
  
  
• Lewin’s Change Management Model

Even with a good understanding of the change and a well thought out plan, change can often be unsettling for many people which is why communicating through change is key.

Communicate Change

Communication is one of the key factors that determine the success or failure of change implementation.

The change needs to be explained clearly to stakeholders to ensure that you get the desired reaction.

One way to get employees behind the change is to relate it to your organisation’s mission, vision and values. This will not only highlight the importance and relevance of the change, but also help inspire and motivate employees.

Useful Change Models

• Beckhard and Harris’ Change Equation
  
  
• The Burke-Litwin Change Model
  
  
• Leavitt’s Diamond
  
  
• Impact Analysis
  
  
• SIPOC Diagrams
  
  
• ADKAR Change Management Model

Our Top 3 Change Management Tips

• Transparency
  Be transparent with your team; share your goals, seek input and invite feedback from your employees.
  
  
• Forward-thinking
  When implementing change, talk about the future and how even if the change seems daunting now, it will benefit both the organisation and employees in the long run.
  
  
• Share Success
  When you have successfully implemented the change, share the success with your team and explain how the positive impact the change has had