6 change traps ... and how to sidestep them

6 TRAPS IN MANAGING CHANGE … AND HOW TO SIDESTEP THEM

When driving change through an organisation, it pays to know what not to do.

In an article published in Management Today I outline six traps that change programs often fall into, and how to avoid them. Three of the pitfalls relate to change strategy, the other three relate to implementation. Here they are:

Change Strategy Traps
1. not having a strategy to underpin the change program
2. treating customers and end users as an afterthought
3. having a strategy but keeping it invisible

Remedies: Using a SWOT analysis at the front-end of a change program, or a Search Conference, are effective tools for formulating change strategies. ‘House of quality’ techniques can be used to identify customer requirements

Change Implementation Traps
4. not having a clear mechanism for taking the change program forward (I term this ‘management by magical thinking’)
5. unclear, partial or absent communication
6. politics pulling against the direction of change

Remedies: Communication mechanisms can include intranet sites, email updates, newsletters and email post-boxes. Staff forums can be set up to facilitate two-way communication. Techniques such as stakeholder and force-field analyses can help channel personal agendas in the direction of the change program

You can read the full article by clicking here (pdf of article will open in a new window).

If you need assistance planning or implementing your next change program, please contact me on 0414 383 374 or email info@mcarmanconsulting.com.