We need to change the "change failure" narrative

The Nature of Failure in Change Projects

Before delving into how Change Managers can mitigate failure, it's crucial to examine what constitutes "failure" in the context of change projects. The definition of success or failure is often subjective and can vary depending on who is assessing the outcome. Traditionally, success has been measured against the achievement of Business Benefits as outlined in the Business Case. However, this approach can be problematic due to the inherent unpredictability of projects.

The Changing Scope and Objectives

Projects rarely go exactly as planned. Changes in scope, unexpected challenges, and shifting priorities often lead to deviations from the original plan. When this happens, the Business Benefits initially outlined in the Business Case may no longer be regarded as being realistic or relevant. Despite these changes, many organizations continue to measure success against these outdated criteria, leading to a perceived "failure" even when significant progress or positive outcomes have been achieved.

Common Causes of Project Failure

Several recurring issues contribute to the high failure rates in change projects:

The Role of Change Managers

Given these challenges, it’s fair to question why organizations continue to employ Change Managers despite the high failure rates. The answer lies in the evolving nature of Change Management as a discipline. Change Managers are not merely project executors; they are facilitators of transformation who navigate complex organizational landscapes, mitigate risks, and align diverse interests toward common goals.

The Value of Change Managers

Strategic Guidance: Change Managers provide strategic oversight, ensuring that the change aligns with the organization's long-term goals and vision:

Recommendations for Change Managers

And now for the important part, to avoid the pitfalls of perceived failure, Change Managers can adopt several known practices that have been proven to work:

So there we have it

Yet more of my musings on one of my "pet subjects".

Do you think we will ever solve the success and failure conundrum and do you think we will ever be able to change the "failure narrative" that so many practitioners really love to use?

If you want my view, it all stems from your brain which is wired for failure so it is a matter of changing mindsets and becoming more positive and more vocal about success.

All the surveys I mentioned earlier seem to target the upper-echelons of organisations who are always wary of gaining an over-optimistic view but very few ask those impacted stakeholders what they think (mentioned above). At the end of the day the are the users and adopters of whatever has been delivered so shouldn't the decision come from them?

DO YOU ASK YOUR STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT SUCCESS AND FAILURE POST PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION?

If you do I would love it if you could share the results with me (if their not confidential) so I can compile a list of results pertaining to different types of implementations to get a realistic view of success or failure.

Below is some feedback from a post-implementation survey I did on a major transformation programme for a large Central Government project some years ago.

NOTE: Those of you who have been through my Driving Change Management course will recognise this as the Usage and Adoption Case Study

I have an idea

Whilst this won't do away with the argument how about a survey to real practitioners (not their C-Suite or Sponsor) ask, anonymously of course, if their latest endeavours are likely to have been successful and to what extent (an estimated % will do as all the others are). Whilst this is not very robust at least it will give us a "rule of thumb" as to what, out there in the big, wide world of honest practitioners is a little nearer the truth.