Introducing change into your organisation requires careful thought and consideration in the planning phase to maximise success.

Unlike the metamorphosis of a butterfly, your organisation will not emerge triumphant if you do not prepare for and plan the implementation of change, and support those who are affected by change.

In managing change, you will need to:

1. Anticipate the emotions people may experience with change and respond appropriately.
   
2. Manage stakeholders and classify the degree to which they will be impacted by a change initiative.
   
3. Understand the reasons why people resist change and be prepared for how to manage this.

You should also factor in ‘change fatigue’. When major change is thrust upon people who have not yet, or only recently made it through the last change cycle, it can have a negative effect on their mindset and performance. Be conscious of your timing for any big changes made in your business and the impact it will have on your team.

There are three key stages in leading change. First and foremost is communication. The best planned implementation will come undone without effective communication, it really is the heart and soul of good change management.

Secondly, supporting resources should be anticipated and prepared to assist those in adapting to the change. Training manuals, how-to guides, FAQs guides etc. will be a necessary resource for team members to lean on as they upskill and embrace new procedures. Research shows that an average learner forgets 70% of what they learned in a training session within 24 hours and 90% of what they learned in a week if they don't make an effort to retain it. Therefore providing reference material to staff after meetings, training or change update sessions are essential to ensure your team has the confidence to implement change based on their knowledge of new processes. 

Thirdly, ongoing support must be provided to help everyone reach the other side of the change journey successfully.

Communication Plan

Who is your audience? What needs to be communicated? When does it need to be communicated? Each communication should include:

• The Why, highlighting the risk of not changing and ‘what’s in it for me’. 
• The What, creating an interest for the change at all levels and reinforcing the positive impact of the changes.
• How & When – how can include live presentations, meetings and forums, flyers and posters, briefing documents, help desk, email for briefing document or invite only – long wordy emails are not effective.
• Feedback – provide ongoing feedback to key stakeholders as the change rolls out.

To assist you in gaining buy-in, welcome suggestions and ideas, organise forums to ask for feedback and how to create workable strategies to manage the change. You can also appoint change champions to drive positivity and facilitate a successful outcome for the business. Someone who is personally invested in the change can see the vision and genuinely wants to help bring everyone along for the journey.

Preparing supporting resources

An important part of this preparation phase is to deliberately allocate time and resources to develop all the supporting materials and activities. This will ensure that all the key elements are ready to go during roll out and implementation.

Prepare managers and team leaders who are responsible for implementing the change by:

• Providing an overview of the change process and their role in it.
• Role modelling enthusiasm for the change and leading by example.
• Providing skills on how to deal with resistance.

For newcomers – development of job aids and quick reference guides to be used for when the roll out occurs

Ongoing Support

Providing opportunity for ongoing feedback during and after change is implemented is essential. Activities such as regular check-ins, workshops, and feedback forums should be scheduled with appropriate team members to assess how everyone is tracking. This will identify those who are struggling to adapt so continued support can be provided. Use practice, triggers, reflection and reminders to reinforce the new normal as a collective group.

Was the implementation successful?

When measuring the success of change management, look holistically across a range of variables, including help desk calls, employee feedback and engagement, client retention and feedback and observations in changed behaviour. Encourage feedback from the team to provide insight on how you can improve your change management skills for the next big thing.

If you would like to speak with anyone at Smith Thornton regarding this or any other matters please don’t hesitate to get in touch.