AUTHOR Eduard Lopez
Eduard is an experienced operations director, and a Leadership coach. He has been managing operations for Global industry-leader Customers such as IBM, Siemens, General Electric, Ericsson or Bosch, and leading multicultural teams in three different countries (Spain, Czech Republic and Romania).His educational background is in Engineering with an MSc in Industrial Organizations and a Masters in Accounting and Finance. Eduard is a certified six-sigma green belt and LEAN Management Professional. He is also an accredited coach by the International Coaching Federation.
As a CEO or senior executive, you’re no stranger to change. Whether it’s implementing new technology, reorganizing your business structure, or optimizing your operation, change is an inevitable part of any business.
But managing change can be a daunting task (no matter how technically skilled our teams might be), because of two key factors:
- Every change, from the most minute one, carry over a degree of resistance. People don’t like change. And,
- any change, to be lasting and successful, has to be implemented by the organization below the senior leadership team.
It’s not enough to ‘mandate’ the change, but we need to define, clarify, explain, involve, engage, support, monitor, involve (did I mentioned it twice?), and recognize success.
Pacellico, with its experience in implementing change in organizations, is aware of these obstacles, and support the application of a series of steps and actions that facilitate the process:
1/ Start with a clear vision:
Before you embark on any change initiative, it’s important to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. What are your goals? What outcomes do you expect?
Key actions:
- Develop a clear and concise vision statement that outlines the goals of the change initiative.
- Communicate the vision statement to all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners.
- Ensure that everyone understands the purpose of the change initiative and how it aligns with the overall business strategy.
2/ Communicate, communicate, communicate:
Communication is key to successful change management. Keep your team and stakeholders informed about the changes you’re making: put the WHY and HOW at the level of the WHAT (the specific solution).
Key actions:
- Develop a communication plan that outlines the key messages, channels, and frequency of communication.
- Use a variety of communication channels, such as email, newsletters, town hall meetings, and social media.
- Encourage feedback and questions from stakeholders, and be responsive to their concerns.
3/ Involve your team:
Team involvement and engagement is key. They have to have their voice heard and a certain degree of autonomy in making decisions. Only with it, we will achieve a full commitment from the organization.
Here the importance of having a skilled middle management.
Key actions:
- Create a cross-functional team that includes representatives from different departments and levels of the organization.
- Assign specific tasks or projects to team members, and empower them to make decisions and take ownership of the change initiative.
- Provide training and support to help team members develop the skills they need to implement the change successfully.
4/ Anticipate and manage resistance:
Change always implies resistance, whether it’s from employees, stakeholders, or customers. Anticipate this resistance and have a plan in place to manage it. Address concerns and objections head-on, and be open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Key actions:
- Identify potential sources of resistance and develop a plan to address them.
- Provide regular updates on the progress of the change initiative, and be transparent about any challenges or setbacks.
- Engage with stakeholders who are resistant to the change, and address their concerns in a constructive and respectful manner.
5/ Measure and evaluate:
To ensure that your change initiative is successful, it’s important to measure and evaluate its impact. Define metrics for success and track progress against them. Use this data to make adjustments and improvements as needed.
- Define clear and measurable metrics for success, such as cost savings, increased efficiency, or improved customer satisfaction.
- Use data analytics tools to track progress against these metrics, and identify areas for improvement.
- Use the data to make adjustments and improvements to the change initiative as needed.
Many of these points are overlooked when implementing a new project, tool, or technical solution to improve the organization’s results. That’s why Research shows that 70% of all change initiatives fail.
At Pacellico, we have a proven track record of helping businesses successfully navigate change.
Whether you’re implementing new technology, reorganizing your business structure, or optimizing your operation, we can help you achieve your goals. Our team of change management experts will work with you at every step of the way, providing practical advice and guidance to ensure your change initiative is a success.
We invite you to contact Pacellico for more details on how we can help you navigate change management. We also offer a free self-assessment tool that can help you measure your organization’s performance and identify areas for improvement.