GOALQPCWhitepaperChangeManagement

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Change
Management
Donna Brighton
Brighton Leadership Group LLC
Complimentary Whitepaper by
January 2014 | Whitepaper

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8E Industrial Way, Suite 3, Salem, NH 03079 ❍ 800.643.4316 ❍ service@goalqpc.com ❍ goalqpc.com | MemoryJogger.org
Change Management | Copyright © 2014 GOAL/QPC | All rights reserved. MJ-2014
Executive Whitepaper Series
The pace of change is accelerating and unrelenting. In order to
have a sustainable organization in today’s environment, change
is a requirement, not an option. Change Management (CM) is
an excellent way to navigate that change with the least amount
of disruption, yet is frequently overlooked as a necessary busi-
ness capability. Many businesses often misconstrue what Change
Management really is and when it’s needed as well.
What Exactly Is Change Management?
Change Management is “a deliberate set of activities that facilitate and support the
success of individual and organizational change and the realization of its intended
business results.” In other words, it’s about understanding and influencing people
to change in a specific way at a specific point in time. A good analogy would be to
look at the change team as translators bridging the gap between the process, the
system and people changes. Project Teams speak “project” (a technical process),but
Change Teams speak “people.” The change focus is the human process —determin-
ing the gap between where people are and where they need to be in order to achieve
success in the change, then using the appropriate change actions to get them there
as quickly and effectively as possible. CM also creates effective change leadership
within existing organizations, ensuring the continued success of the change even
after the official “go live date” of the implementation.
Isn’t Change Management The Same As Project Management?
No. They are complementary, but distinctly different in focus. Change Manage-
ment provides a structured approach to transition groups or organizations (people)
through change. The focus of Project Management is to execute projects effectively
andefficiently.Itcanbemeasuredbythefamiliarschedule,scopeandbudget.There-
fore, its roots are in creating things, rather than bringing about “people change.”
Technically minded people will view Change Management as just another technical
process. Although there is a process to Change Management, and there are proven
methods, it’s about the people outcomes and lasting results. In order for the change
to be lasting and sustained, it requires a people focus rather than a technical focus,
and is its success is measured differently as well: people need to become aware of
the change, then buy in to it, and finally own it (adoption.)
“What is Change Management?”
Association of Change Management Professionals, http://www.acmpglobal.org/?page=WhatisCM
(accessed Jan. 2014).

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Change Management Is: Change Management Is Not:
## A structured approach or framework to
effectively transition individuals, groups
of people or entire organizations through
a specific change
## Determining the gap between where
people are and where they need to be in
order to achieve success in the change,
then using the appropriate change ac-
tions to get them there as quickly and
effectively as possible
## A discipline that complements and works
with other disciplines (such as project
management, HR, communication, train-
ing and leadership) to achieve success
## A discipline that is required to success-
fully accomplish lasting success during
change
## A way to align all levels of an organiza-
tion behind the same goals
## A way to minimize disruptions of change
and maximize benefits from the change
## A means of measuring organizational
progress towards embracing new struc-
tures, systems and processes
## An art and a science. There is research
and proof that demonstrates that CM
works when done well
## Training and communication (these are
activities that help achieve the change,
but there is more to Change Manage-
ment)
## A one-size fits-all-projects approach
where you always do the same things
## Project Management—although you still
must define success, create a plan and
determine/manage risks, communicate
and so on, the focus is people
## Change control, is also referred to as
Change Management in a project
## Motivating people through team build-
ing exercises to feel good about wherever
the project is going
## Emotional “touchy-feely” activities that
improve employee morale or a mythical
feel good exercise dreamed up by an HR
Manager
## Sending out bunches of emails and
holding some training
## The latest unproven business fad

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So When Is Change Management Needed?
Change Management is only required in very specific circumstances:
When there are people involved or impacted by a change
Whether or not it matters if those people participate
If those people need to make changes in their thinking, skills or behavior
You’ll notice the common denominator in the above requirements is people.
Ifyoursuccessisindependentofpeople(e.g.,youarebuildingastructureorcreating
something that doesn’t involve people), then change management isn’t necessary
and you can stop reading right now. But if you have employees who will be involved
in and affected by the upcoming change (your change requires that people behave
differently or think differently in order to be successful), then CM can be a power-
ful and effective way to make the change process smoother and more successful.
Why Do We Need Change Management?
Change Management:
Increases the effectiveness of communication during a change
Maintains employee engagement through uncertain, difficult and
distressing changes
Minimizes the loss of focus and productivity in the workplace
Ensures that the right information is shared with the right people at the
right time
Enables the business benefits of the change to be realized more quickly
Reduces resistance and misunderstandings that create costly delays, re-work,
error, waste and turnover
Increases and accelerates user adoption, proficiency and usage to optimize
business results
Engages people in the change, shares relevant information about the change,
and expedites the transition to the ‘new future’
When executed well, is a tremendous opportunity to develop change capability
so that future changes are easier. (It’s like building muscle. The more you focus
on it and develop it, the better it gets.)
Creates learning opportunities and builds capability for everyone involved, from
senior leaders, through management to front line staff. Rather than investing
money in training programs, this is on the job, real life action learning.
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There is a sad story that is repeated almost daily: people get excited about Change
Management, learn about what it is—that it takes time and resources to do it
well—and decide that it’s too much. They fall back to old habits: do some training
and communication, send out a few emails, maybe hold a few classes. They call that
Change Management, and then wonder why they didn’t get results. Sound familiar?
Unfortunately, you don’t get results without doing real Change Management.
When you do really great Change Management, you will realize amazing benefits.
Instead of business as usual, change is a catalyst to do new and transformative
things in an organization. Imagine that during your next change initiative, instead
of reacting to the change, your organization is powered by the change—it becomes
fuel to grow and adapt to our inescapable and increasingly faster paced environ-
ment. Research has shown that initiatives with excellent Change Management are
six times more likely to meet or exceed their objectives when compared with ini-
tiatives that have poor Change Management. Well-executed Change Management
makes the difference between average and exceptional outcomes.
VALUE PEOPLE
This is a starting point—a pre-existing condition that must be present in order
for Change Management to be effective.
For Change Management to be a worthwhile investment, the leader and the
organization must see people as valued and essential to successful change.
BELIEVE IT YOURSELF
Employees watch leaders to get the “real story.” When leaders doubt the
change, challenge the change or question the change, employees follow suit.
Understand that everyone—including a leader—goes through a change
process.
Share information about the change in advance so that leaders have time
to process the change and get comfortable owning it. There should be clear
expectations that leaders can discuss their change issues with peers or their
leaders, but never with employees.
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MESSAGING
Sending an email does not count as communication. When creating the plan to
communicate the change, determine the most effective channels to reach the
people impacted by the change, and target the messages accordingly. Don’t
just send out a bunch of emails and check the box that you’ve “communicated.”
Today’s world disseminates messages through TV, email, online, etc.
It’s imperative to use a variety of media to target the people who need
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to get the message. For example, a banner on a computer login screen is not
useful to an employee who works on the shop floor in a plant; an old fashioned
easel and poster board is going to be more effective. Use what works for
the audience.
Whenever possible, tie messages to a central theme which creates continuity
and reduces uncertainty. For example, “We believe in giving you the latest
software to do your job effectively. As the software tools are updated, we’re
going to make sure that you stay up to date. The current change is that all
employees are moving to Office 2010. When Microsoft makes another change
you’ll get to enjoy that version.” Versus, “Hi, you need to upgrade your Office
2003 applications.”
RESPECT THE PROCESS – PROVEN METHODS DO WORK, BUT TAKE TIME
Organizational change is a myth – it’s people that change, not organizations.
Change and learning are individual people processes that take time.
Change is a personal choice; you can either force people to change, encourage
them to change, or use Change Management to inspire lasting change.
CM is a proven methodology to help people choose to change faster and
more completely.
ADDRESS RESISTANCE – ONE OF THE GREATEST OBSTACLES TO
CHANGE SUCCESS
Not all resistance is bad—it often provides feedback that can improve the
change outcome.
Common sources of resistance include lack of awareness, change fatigue
and miscommunication. Before assuming someone is unwilling to change,
determine the underlying cause. When you understand why people are resisting
(pushing back on the change) you can tailor the approach to help them move
past the resistance.
Change Management is about understanding where people are in their change
process, correctly diagnosing resistance, and developing actions or interventions
that will enable them to achieve success as quickly and effectively as possible.
COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN –
Uncertainty is a change buzz killer. It’s imperative that during the process of
change, clear and consistent messages are shared and processed. This does not
mean that you tell everyone everything.
Honesty and transparency are terrific qualities for building trust; however,
overuse can drown the change in over-communication. There is a balance
between communicating on a “need to know” basis and oversharing. The art of
Change Management helps leaders discern this balance.
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Don’t wait to talk about the change, but be careful how much you share. When
you give too much information up front and the information changes, it creates
change fatigue. When previously shared information changes, it can also create
mistrust which increases change resistance.
ESTABLISH A CHANGE CHAMPION TEAM
Build momentum for the change through a group of early evangelists—either
by setting up a formal team and training change agents, or creating an
information sharing network of change champions.
When selecting participants, choose people with high levels of credibility in the
organization. It’s good to have a balance of positive people and un-supportive
people so you have balanced insight.
The value of communicating is not only to talk, but to listen. When you create a
change team throughout an organization, you can use this as a vital channel for
listening to what is being said. You want to know the positive and the negative
reactions people have to the change.
GET LEADERS ONBOARD
AKA (in CM code) Build A Coalition
The entire management team must understand the change and be on board
with the change in order to achieve maximum success. Define their roles and
set clear expectations during the change to support their success as leaders.
Whether sharing a new idea or making a monumental change, great leadership
is essential. Part of the role of a great leader during change is to get the
support of other people, one at a time. You can’t have a groundswell of
group support until you’ve built up a reasonable number of supporters.
Although it’s time consuming to have individual conversations, you must
invest the time to reap the reward of greater support and less resistance down
the road.
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
There’s a difference between efficient communication (sending an email) and
effective communication (achieving the intended results).
Look at each communication activity and ask yourself, “Is this necessary?
Is this achievable in the current configuration?” For example, emailing a
congratulations announcement to a team on a job well done may be intended
to support them and show appreciation for their work, but a more effective
reward could be an in-person luncheon.
Effectiveness is about outcomes, efficiency is about getting something done;
sending out one email to the entire organization may share information,
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but won’t have the same impact as having departmental leaders tailor the
information to their individual teams and personally share it.
Too many times information is shared and it’s expected that the people
receiving the information will magically know what they’re supposed to do
with it. Newsflash…they don’t! So to be effective you must include a specific
call to action.
Less is more!!! People often miss the core message because they’re drowned
in details. Learn to be “Twitteresque” by sharing brief points and providing links
or details later in the message with more explanation.
CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Everyone likes to win. The more you recognize accomplishments along the way,
the more you build psychological reinforcements to forge ahead.
Without celebration, you risk losing people to discouragement and frustration.
Create a plan with small milestones along the way to the final realization
of results. This manages uncertainty while giving change participants the
opportunity to mark their progress.
MANAGE ENERGY
Change fatigue is a real phenomenon.
People power is limited; use it poorly and you not only wear out your
workforce, but the most passionate, committed employees sink into dysfunction.
Change Management helps leaders to be smart about using people power by
pacing people and pacing change.
Build speed by building capacity and skill. The more consistent your approach
to change, the easier it is to build a discipline and, ultimately, capability and
strength for change (being agile).

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About the Author
Donna Brighton, President
Brighton Leadership Group
Donna is a business leader that gets results for her clients.
From helping a global fortune 500 consumer products company avoid $1
million a day in losses by effectively transitioning a 500-person SAP implemen-
tation team from a traditional office to a radically new open working space…
over a weekend, to a multi-billion dollar insurance company saving $15M
through challenging the business case assumptions on several key projects.
She’s applied her knowledge and pragmatic results for a quarter of century
with rave reviews.
Her clients include large organizations, such as AON, CRU (the U.S’s largest
Evangelical organization), Guardian Life Insurance, Kraft Foods, Lockheed
Martin, National Car Rental, TD Bank, and US Bank, as well as smaller orga-
nizations such as American Physicians Insurance Exchange, CMMI Institute
(a Carnegie Mellon affiliate), GVTC, and The Marcus Buckingham Company.
Before starting Brighton Leadership, Donna served as a Change Management
Practitioner for a well-known change management firm, the Director of Prac-
tice Operations at a national consulting firm, and a PeopleSoft Practice Director
at a technology company. She is active in several professional organizations.
She served on a Board Committee for the Project Management Institute. She
also is the President and Board Member for the Global Association of Change
Management Professionals and is on the Strategic Advisory Committee for
CRU, a Chicago non-profit organization focused on inner-city transformation.
She holds a BS in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leader-
ship. Donna is a Certified Project Manager and holds an advanced certification
in Organizational Change Management.
Donna is a Pittsburgh native who remains loyal to the Black Gold despite
living in Chicago.
Donna Brighton
We help leaders build
strong, sustainable or-
ganizations to accelerate
growth, innovation and
profitability.

8E Industrial Way, Suite 3, Salem, NH 03079 ❍ 800.643.4316 | 603.890.8800 Fax: 603.870.9122 ❍ service@goalqpc.com | goalqpc.com
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