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Effective Change Management: Deliberate, Decisive, Directed

Whether you’re overseeing the adoption of a new platform or conducting a full-scale merger, effective change management will be critical to the success or failure of the project. A few years ago, Jonathan Clark and I assisted in the implementation of a large-scale Information Technology (IT) project. This project influenced almost all aspects of the broader organization’s finance, sub-projects, customer data, product information, operations, manufacturing capabilities, retail centers, and more. Prior to this project, we were involved in numerous technology-based projects within the Military, as both deliverers and users. Our experiences have uncovered a number of significant recurring themes and lessons which we wanted to take the opportunity to share with those who had the time to listen.

Effective Change Management Is Not An Afterthought

Change management is not a joke. It is not the responsibility of a single agency or individual to promote change within an organization. It requires significant investment and analysis at all levels of an organization.  For effective change management on a large scale, you need to provide leadership, champions, preparation, and context. We have seen many instances of organizations that want to implement a change but are not willing to invest anything in order to achieve it. Worse yet, no one understands why the change is necessary or how it will occur.

Related Reading: Myths of Change Management (VIDEO)

Change within organizations too often starts with the word just. We’re just replacing capability A with B. We just want to absorb another organization. We just need to transition Team A into Role D.

There is no “just” when it comes to effective change management. That type of approach all but guarantees a waste of money, time, and resources, up to and including a full regression or undoing of the change efforts. Depending on the scale of the effort, it could literally destroy an organization.

 

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Systems And Technology Alone Will Not Save You

During our years as change management consultants, we have observed an overreliance on technology. It is a common misconception that new digital systems will fix poor processes. But they never have, and they never will. There is no doubt that technology can enhance an organization’s productivity, capabilities, and efficiencies. But part of effective change management is making sure you have the right people to implement and align the technology to a strategic direction. If those people do not understand the strategic direction of the company, the technology they implement may only send you further off course.

Related Reading: How NOT To Collect Data for Business

In many instances, organizations will implement a new platform or technology because they want to appear innovative and modern. But changing a system comes at a cost in time as well as money. Before you decide to implement a new system, make sure you determine the specific issue this change is going to address and the projected return on investment. It also may be worth considering non-technological alternatives. You will have no hope of effective change management if you’re trying to solve a process- or people-based issue by trying to cover it up with a computer program.

Leadership Is Not A Scary Word

You can change software interfaces and technologies, but unless you have user buy-in and ownership, you will have a fight on your hands every step of the way. If there is no leadership to explain the context, facilitate the time for acceptance, or provide a buffer for mistakes, then users will never see the need to make it work.

The Eighth Mile has had the privilege of working with some truly amazing leaders across multiple industries including military, government, and commercial enterprises. We often hear blasé comments about the differences between leadership and management, but when we ask people if they consider themselves to be a leader, they balk at the last minute and describe themselves as a good manager. Do not do that. If you want to be a leader, then be one. Do not shy away from the responsibilities associated with it. It is a role that offers the privilege of providing a purpose to those around you, sometimes through effective change management, and sometimes simply by working with them to achieve your objectives.

Change Is Inevitable

“Change is inevitable; Progress is a choice”

Dean Lindsay 

Organizations will experience change, either voluntarily or due to the environments they operate in. A business that doesn’t change or evolve with its industry will eventually be left behind. As a result of this many businesses, appear to make reactive and impulsive changes instead of deliberate changes that propel them forward. A lack of careful planning and evaluation can increase costs. Many times, these same organizations don’t align their goals with realistic and achievable timelines, opting instead to rush the change and hope for the best.

For the most effective change management, our experiences at The Eighth Mile prompt us to suggest the following guidelines:

  • Determine the direction of the organization. Any change you make must align with your overall strategy, mission, and goals.
  • Analyze the problem you are trying to fix. How many ways can you think of to solve it?
  • Analyze what is not required to change. This will prevent enacting unnecessary efforts that will only drain your resources.
  • Once a decision is made, communicate the information early and openly to your staff
  • Champion the decision and enforce leadership at all levels.
  • Plan and sequence the change
  • Enact the change
  • Provide ongoing support to ensure success.

Truly effective change management provides a host of benefits, including lower resource costs and higher employee satisfaction, to say nothing of resolving the core issue that necessitated the change in the first place. The risk of getting it wrong, however, can be monumental. Large-scale changes, especially when it comes to implementing new technology, will not work without support from all levels within an organization. Do not assume the problem will go away with wishful thinking. Some change are necessary, and you must manage them effectively if you want your organization to not only survive but excel.

Nervous about effective change management? The Eighth Mile can help. We provide full-service change management consulting and guidance for organizations across multiple industries. Visit our Change Management Services page to find out more, or contact us directly to speak with our consultants.

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What Is Change Management?

Change management is more than a term to describe the process of making adjustments within a company. When done well, it is a process that can lead to outstanding results, lower risk, and better outcomes for companies. It doesn’t have to be complicated. However, it must be done in such a way as to ensure the best full view of the problem and the best solution. So, what is change management?

What Is Change Management in Business?

Change management is the overseeing and facilitating of significant change within an organization. The management team must decide how to properly address and plan for change, developing a comprehensive process for doing so. They then implement that process and manage it from start to completion, assuring success and adjusting to challenges.

When Does a Company Need Change Management?

There are two common scenarios in which change management is a necessary, beneficial investment.

1) A New Project or Process

One of the most common instances in which change management is necessary occurs when the company plans to implement a new project or process into current operations. In doing so, they want all employees and stakeholders on board with the change. This could include massive changes in operations or more minor procedural changes. The key is that the adjustments will impact business operations. Most businesses will go through this process at least once.

2) Acquisition or Mergers

A merger or acquisition changes the game for most companies. This is often a very significant adjustment for all stakeholders and employees. What is change management able to do in this case? Typically, this type of adjustment carries tension and stress with it. Integrating two workforces can mean that many jobs must adjust to new procedures and expectations. Managing this process properly may help to preserve top talent, outline organizational expectations, and help the company move through this process with less strife.

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How Do You Know You Need Change Management?

It’s not always simple to know when to invest in specialized change management support and when to make a few new rules and hope your team follows. Consider the following questions when deciding:

  • What is changing?
  • Why is that changing?
  • What are the implications if the change does not succeed?
  • What is the impact on the employees when this change occurs?
  • What is the impact on the day-to-day operations of the business due to the change?
  • Is the business set up to manage a change of this size, or could it cause frustrations within the workforce?

In many organizations, the goal goes further than implementing rules or changes. They want to explain, educate, and support the people from upper management down who will have some type of impact as a result of this adjustment.

Many people have an aversion to change. Just changing their habits can be a challenge. It’s easier to keep doing things as usual. That occurs whether they get a new manager or the company sells to an investor. By creating the right change mindset from the start, it’s possible to circumvent the negative and achieve more of the desired outcome without as many risks.

Consider the forces for change within your organization that can create stress that may make the investment in change management wise:

  • Government changes are typically critical, as not following these could lead to costly fines or other risks.
  • Social or political events within the organization or from outside the organization that impact the employees of the company can warrant a more delicate process of change.
  • New technology or procedures that require new training or new employee expectations are often best managed with a more hands-on approach.
  • Capturing market opportunities and organizational growth can be essential for a company to continue to operate, making overseeing the transition critical.
  • There are other pain points that could impact the employees, management, or leadership that must receive sensitive handling.

How Does Change Management Start?

Every situation requires a carefully created plan to address the underlying concerns and to create a roadmap for following through. There are often several core components of this process:

  1. Prepare the organization and team for the change. Communicate the details of what may occur and when.
  2. Create a vision for the ideal outcome and make a plan for putting it in place.
  3. Implement the changes and monitor conditions.
  4. Embed changes within the culture and practices of the organization to support the ongoing changes and adjustments.
  5. Review the progress over time and adjust as needed.

A leader’s attitude affects everyone. To ensure the best long-term outcome, ensure your leadership team has the strategies in place to facilitate success.

Find the Help You Need to Facilitate a Better Outcome

Without a doubt, change management often impacts the bottom line and long-term success of companies. Getting it right matters to most organizations. As a result, it’s best to hire a team who can guide and support you through that process. Contact The Eighth Mile Consulting today to discuss your options and to support your growth through these changes.

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Leadership Lessons – From a 22yo Nobody

I left school at 18 years of age and joined the Australian Army where I undertook 4 years of tertiary and leadership training with the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College Duntroon. Most of what I learnt in that time was structured academic education about leadership, management and tactics. I then graduated into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and was posted to a Battalion in Darwin with a couple of my good mates.

After a very short time out of the College, I was informed that I would be deploying to Afghanistan in a combat capacity as part of Mentoring Task Force II. It meant that I would be responsible for a Platoon of soldiers (24 in total) for the duration of a 10-month deployment. The deployment would prove to be a crash course in leadership and growing up. Basic mistakes would result in death or injury and would likely have implications on an overall strategic campaign that influenced nearly 50 countries.

I thought I would take the opportunity to compile a list of lessons I learnt from the experience now that I am blessed with the benefit of hindsight. Hopefully, it helps someone out there.

Lesson 1 – Leading is not about you

When I left the Military College, I was incredibly self-focused and concerned, as I think most of the newly graduating officers were. My pursuit for excellence was largely overshadowed by a need to win, have a strong career and be accepted by my peers.

Afghanistan taught me very quickly about the importance of servant leadership. People were not interested in a leader that was career-focused. They needed a leader that:

  1. Could voice their concerns in forums where they were not represented.
  2. Could listen to different points of view and find patterns or links which could be formed into a robust plan in a short time.
  3. Was genuinely interested in their safety and getting them back home to their families and friends.
  4. Took an interest in them as individuals and not just an employee.

As my career progressed, I learnt that the more I protected my staff, peers and supervisors and represented their interests, the more plans started to work, and less time was needed to coordinate them. I was also able to work around red tape by leveraging off enduring relationships and loyalties.

Most importantly, I learned that a leader has to find their own style quickly. Copying other leaders doesn’t work, it wastes time, and presents as disingenuous. Furthermore, the world doesn’t revolve around you or your preconceptions of the world. It’s going to tick along if you are there or not, so go and make a positive legacy.

Lesson 2 – Don’t assume you know a person

I left the Military College as an easily influenced, right-wing, caucasian with very limited life experience. In a very short time, my platoon and I was dragged from the protective environment of Australia and spat into one of the most dangerous valleys in the world.

In doing so, this is what I learnt:

1. People are not their behaviour

Some Afghani’s and Pakistani’s that I met in my journey would educate me, by explaining that some of them were not fighting due to hate, ideology, or cultural difference but instead were fighting due to economic pressure, an attempt to save their family, or in order to protect what little resources they had left. I had falsely assumed that they were all out to kill me, and if given the first chance would undoubtedly enact a vicious plan against us. My preconceptions were proven wrong one night when I was in desperate need of help removing bodies from a drowned vehicle and a large number of Afghani ‘fighting age males’ offered me help when I needed it the most, and I was at my most vulnerable. Lesson learnt.

2. The most unsuspecting people are often the most impressive

I had soldiers that were far more educated and intelligent than myself and it took me a long time to find out how we could utilise it. In one such example, I had made a decision that had resulted in the drowning of a Bushmaster Vehicle because of a botched water crossing. This was acceptable tactically at the time as we had risk mitigated against some of the implications but unfortunately had resulted in my team being stuck on the wrong side of a very large water obstacle. Luckily for the team, I had a low ranked private soldier who knew about engines due to his background as a country farmhand. I made the deliberate choice of giving him hands-on control of the operation to recover the vehicle, and then subsequently coordinate the river crossing back to the safe side of the river. With the benefit of hindsight, I can say confidently that he handled the situation better than I could have, and the trust I placed in him to manage the issue was well invested.

Lesson 3 – Risk Management matters, but so does finding opportunities 

I left the college under the false belief that I was fit, fast and unstoppable. My analysis of risk was always skewed towards the capture of opportunity instead of risk mitigation. My approach to tactics was generally aggressive, opportunistic and decisive in nature. I have subsequently learnt that significant changes occur to people’s bodies in their early 20’s which significantly affect their brain. In short, the chemicals that were pumping throughout my body were the same ones that would subtly influence my decision making throughout the tour. They encouraged me to take chances where otherwise I would not have.

In recent years, I have fathered two beautiful children with my lovely wife and the thought of me accepting risks like the ones I undertook in Afghanistan seem laughable. Simply put, I have more to lose now, and hold responsibilities to others.

These days I think I have a reasonably well-balanced view of risk vs opportunity. I understand the importance of identifying and acknowledging risks and opportunities early and determining how palatable a risk appetite is for an organisation. For example, some industries like Software as a Service (SaaS) have incredibly high-risk profiles, as compared to aged care which is quite low. Knowing this helps shape plans, approaches and strategies that suit the context of that organisation.

Lesson 4 – Find the positives in everything

Sometimes it can be really hard to find positive outcomes in the grind of daily activities, but they are there. It is the leader’s job to find them when no one else can see them.

On 02 February 2011, we lost a very close friend of ours called Corporal Richard Atkinson. Richard was a Combat Engineer whose specialisation was finding explosive traps that were regularly buried in the ground by the Taliban. Unfortunately, on this particular day, one of the explosives detonated and killed Richard and injured another engineer. I had listened to the event occur over the radio some 20km away and was with my team a short time after. Not surprisingly the event had crushed the team’s morale and my own. I knew deep down that we were half the way through a long tour, and we had to get back on to our A-game very quickly, or else might lose another person.

My Sergeant and I developed a unified approach. We would focus on the positives we could find. In this case, we hadn’t lost more members of the team despite a strong chance of it occurring – we used this as a means of motivation to undermine the effectiveness of the Taliban attack. Secondly, we decided to refocus our team’s energy towards coming up with the plan for our next attack on the Taliban, which we did. Our next patrol would be one of the most effective of the tour as it was reinforced by an unwavering commitment to deliver harm to the people that had cost us so much. This refocus ultimately kept my team safe and alert for the remainder of the trip.

Summary

My afghan experience taught me a great deal about life and leadership. I am hoping that by documenting some of these lessons, others might not have to re-learn them.

I like to think that I have taken many of these lessons into my current role as an owner of The Eighth Mile Consulting. These lessons continue to be transferable to the business world.

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