CM: Exchange Prompting discussion around Change Management profession
Isolde Kanikani
Director, SM OCM Practice leader @Kyndryl | VP Global Board ACMP | Exec. Board member Neuro diversity Foundation | Founder I:DNA | Co. Founder Vinchi | MBA & MSc.HRM
Introductions to our Change exchange or CM:Exchange for short
Often Change managers can feel pretty alone in their organizations. If you are lucky enough to be working within a group of change managers probably you feel differently, but in our experience this situation is rare. We got talking about collaboration possibilities after one of the CCB Network webinars, that aim to bridge the gap between change professionals across Europe and grow best practices by prompting the many interesting and important conversations that can be had. We have had some great discussions in process of exploring how we would like to collaborate, sharing our thoughts and experiences around change management as a profession. This process has been a brilliant way to get in touch with some of the problems many of us change managers face. Through building greater awareness around core change management problematic we could also share practical solutions and problem-solving together. After all, no situation is the same and more brains are better than one. Every 2 weeks Calinda and Isolde will be sharing their answers to common change management questions and asking you to join with us in sharing your own either with the available poll or in the comments section of our post.
The authors: Calinda Rompa is a Change Communications Manager who specializes in creative communication concepts and storytelling. Isolde Kanikani is a Change Management Consultant and community manager of The CCB Network. Passionate about creating intrinsic connections, building more awareness through interactive discussions, and facilitating teams in growth.
What is change and change management for us?
Calinda: Change for me is the normal way of life. Everything around us is constantly changing. Spring is the ultimate form of change itself. The trees are blossoming. New life is starting everywhere. Organizations are constantly changing: it is a normal reaction to a changing market, the changing needs of customers, beading the competition, the constant development of new IT innovations like AI, the impact of the Covid pandemic, working from home, etc. As a creative person change for me personally means movement, growth, exploring new ideas, seeing new opportunities, meeting and connecting people. I am used to starting with a blank canvas and start from nothing to find a solution for communications prompts. For most people stepping into the unknown can be scary and discomforting. It is a natural human behaviour towards change. Why should you give up something you know, and try something new? We fear the new because of the uncertainty it brings us.
Isolde: Change is a natural way of life and something to be embraced rather than fought. We can spend so much of our time and energy fighting what can be a truly positive opening of the space for new and life-developing things to happen. Ok, at work these sorts of events are fewer but there are certainly great opportunities that can be grasped if you are brave enough to step in and start the process. I find change frightening sometimes but above all exhilarating.
What can change management mean for an organization? (ROI, the people side, other?)
Isolde: Seen from the perspective of organizations, Change has always been apparent in project work in relation to business as usual activities (BAU) that support the ongoing stable business operations. But the attention to it has been getting increasingly informed in the last years. There are many methods of change management out there, and at the heart of all is the attention to taking individuals through their own unique journey, to reach personal and organizational success. I like to think of an organization as a living breathing symbiosis of people working to create success in all its forms. People become parts that relate systematically through defined processes and cultural agreements. An organization needs to survive, but also innovate and explore new horizons influenced by an ever-developing external environment. Change or die comes to mind, and therefore is it not better to manage change effectively rather than let it simply happen to us? What if each individual within the system of this symbiosis were to proactively engage with change as a way of life? There are certain movements in this direction, and some would say that old ways of thinking and doing are holding this type of progression back. But whether we need to radically move from tradition or opt for more simple baby steps if an organization can manage the change there is a greater return on investment and the people are needed to make this a reality.
Calinda: In order to survive and stay healthy as a business you must constantly adapt to new circumstances of a changing market. It means that organizations need be flexible to change into new directions and that employees must be able to adapt to new situations. We know for a fact that people's first reaction to change is resistance. Change Management focuses on the human factor of change and gives you the tools to prepare your organization and employees to embrace the change more effectively.
What are the tools and methods you use for realizing change?
Calinda: In most organizations, there is a discrepancy in communications between the IT division and the business units during change processes and implementations. At one site you have IT, the leading party during the development process, and at the other side the business units, the product owners. Both parties can have different opinions and expectations of the outcome of a design process. Where IT thinks they have delivered the best possible solution for the business, the business feels overruled and not heard. In the end, the tool is not used, the project has failed. Change Management can bridge the gap between the two parties and ensure a better ROI of your project. The PROSCI methodology gives you a handful of practical tools to control a better outcome of your change program. When developing a Change Communications Strategy, I start with ADKAR, a simple tool that gives you direct insights into where people are in the change journey, what the barriers of resistance are and what people need to be able to embrace the change and grow as a person.
Isolde: If I think about core qualities the central one I bring to change projects is observing the status quo, seeing the core of a problem or situation, and allowing enough time for a deeper more intrinsic understanding of this present state to form. Then an investigation into what would best serve the key stakeholders-clients, often leading to question what you grab hold of naturally through habit. I really like the practicality of the Prosci approach, how these lay things in simple terms for all concerned groups to consider. The ADKAR and the PCT (Project Change Triangle) triangle my most used tools and they form such a great way to tune in to a new project or situation. Besides this though there is a myriad of other methodology both recognized and still being developed. It is really interesting to read what people are developing and the nuances in how they see our change management art. I do not believe that one size fits all so if I really had to choose a way of realizing change it would be through honest discussion, inquisitive exploration, and building breadth of knowledge that can be utilized to better serve my client.
See the Prosci website for more information about the ADKAR & PCT tools
What is change for you, then poll to ask the readers
We wanted to share this with you in the form of a biweekly sharing of thoughts and experience around a particular topic and prompting you our readers to join us. You can do this by commenting directly on the post and getting a discussion going, or by adding your opinions to the poll we will present each time. Poll results will be published so everyone can see what others are experiencing.
Share your ideas about change management!
by placing your answers in the poll and your personal description of change management in the comment of the poll link below.
For very experienced, empathetic and pragmatic change advice; for a few hours or a few days, flexing as you need. Always ready to add value. Always keen to hear your story ✅
4yReally interested to read this, I'm moving in the direction of trying to embed the change management mindset as a core competency in our organisation vs. keeping it the realm of specialists (like me!) or change agents. Doesn't every line manager need to be a change manager these days?