We are regularly told on LinkedIn that
change is difficult because “people do not like change”, but if that’s true why
do people clamour to
change their mobile phone even before the current contract is up? Why are shops
always full of people looking for new clothes? Why are hair salons busy with
people wanting a fresh hairstyle, and why do we sit on the train in the
morning, quietly admiring our new shoes? (OK, maybe that last one is just me
then, but you get my drift.)
I think what is probably more accurate
to say is that people do not like imposed change. Successful, lasting
change in the workplace needs to be handled carefully, and people need to be
involved. These are the
three essential ingredients for successful change I have come to understand
over many years of involvement in structural and business change:
It’s far better to say to people “Let’s
move over there because it’s better” than it is to say “Come over here – my place
is better.” When I introduce change I use a mechanism that involves people so
that they contribute to the nature of the change and so feel part of it and buy
into the change.
Here’s how it works; I produce a brief
proposal document. There are certain guidelines for it: no more than five or
six pages; writing should be both precise and concise. I consider the audience
and cut out unnecessary words – often adjectives – and no “weasel words” such as
“fairly”, “comparatively” and so on. When writing about things that have been
measured I always include numbers and evidence.
I also try after every sentence to
determine what the reader might ask. If I anticipate questions I should answer
them in the following sentences and – I know this makes me sound ancient –
grammar and punctuation matter!
In addition to the handful of pages I always
include two appendices, one for FAQs for questions I anticipate might be asked
of the overall proposal and one to list reviewers and contributors as the
document is socialised. I might
also include other appendices if I need to add further evidence or examples to
help people reach a conclusion.
I then circulate it to a group of people
who will have knowledge around the proposed area for change, and who are most
likely to be affected by any change. Once they have added comments, asked
questions and/or proposed amendments we get together as a group and discuss the
proposal. The outcome of that meeting should be a revised document that has the
broad agreement of everyone at the meeting. Their names are added to the
appendix I mentioned above before the document is given a wider audience. I
then collect comments and concerns from the wider audience and again, the
document can be amended – usually at this stage the alterations are minor and a
new, hopefully final, version can be distributed.
By working in this way people feel part
of the change. They have had a say in it and we all have a better understanding
of each other’s view and have achieved at least close to a consensus. The added
benefit is that the change has been discussed over a period of time and so
people are already making that emotional shift to the new status quo.
Look, I know, and you know, that the
bright idea you had in the shower this morning is the greatest thing since
sliced bread, and will revolutionise your implementation processes overnight. You will no doubt receive a
substantial pay increase, lavish praise from the CEO and a job title to impress
people at dinner parties.
However, not everyone will see your
wisdom instantly. Hard to believe, I
know, but there could be things about their job or the processes around it that
you haven’t fully understood or even addressed.
They will need time to consider, and the
opportunity to contribute, to feel they have been heard. All this takes time
and all you will achieve without patience is a badly thought through change
that will not endure because it was “your” idea, not “our” idea. Which segues neatly into my third essential:
An open mind
Whenever I draft a proposal document, it
is exactly that – a draft. It often undergoes substantial changes by the time
the final version becomes an agreed change, and those changes come from other
people, not me. I don’t have all the answers, or sometimes even all the facts.
More importantly, I can never fully understand other people’s emotional
responses, their values and their motivations.
The collaboration process feeds those
things into the mix and the end result is better for it. When I am mentoring
new managers who find delegation difficult I always tell them “Just because it
has been done differently to the way you would do it doesn’t make it wrong, it
might even make it better.” The same applies to introducing change; listen to
and incorporate input from others. It will probably make your proposal better,
and it will certainly make it enduring.
If you would like a template for the
proposal document I use, including the principles and some guidance, message me
with your email address and I’ll be pleased to send it to you.
Steve Syder is a Registered Project
Professional, a Fellow of the APM and an RPP Assessor. He has in his time
implemented Programme and Project Management practices for organisations as diverse as the UK Hydrographic
Office, EDS and Orange amongst others. Until recently he was Director of
Programme & Project Management at OpenBet, and he has now turned his
attention to the structure and governance of the BI function at Tyche
Consulting.
