The Effective Change Manager's Handbook: Essential Guidance to the Change Management Body of Knowledge

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A study by Laclair and Rao (2002 ) found a close relationship between 12 change management factors (at three levels: senior, mid- and front line) and the value captured from change initiatives. Companies effective at all three levels captured an average of 143 per cent of the expected value. Laclair and Rao measured general management factors that, followed effectively, contribute powerfully to success. Examples include executive and line management fulfi lling their functions effectively and providing training, resource and empowerment for the front line.

A plan that is credible, and that gives people a clear route to success in implementing the change. Mastery : people like to do things well, and to get better at doing things they value, so opportunities to grow, develop and excel at their work are intrinsically motivating. The need for the organization’s executive leadership (or an equivalent local group relevant to more localized change) to define and understand deeply:The change management profession is no longer in its infancy and is no longer reliant on parent disciplines such as organisational development or project management. Change management is itself in a state of change and growth – the number of jobs is increasing and organisations are actively seeking to build their change management capability. DiversityHow homogeneous is the organization? Is diversity amongst people an obstacle to achieving alignment? Is inadequate diversity an obstacle to creativity and change? (Section E and Chapter 12) The best thing I can say about this book is that I will use it again and again to support change work and also that the 'non-examinable' sections are well worth reading. This brief section has highlighted the diffi culty of making change initiatives effective and some of the factors that can help. Change managers who know this research are better able to infl uence their colleagues to apply good change management practices.

Letting go of the old ways and the old identity people had. This fi rst phase of transition is an ending , and the time when you need to help people to deal with their losses. CapacityDoes the organization have the cash, time and people it needs for change to succeed? (Chapter 2)Endings The principal business of this stage is for people to be clear about what particular details of their working life will come to an end as a result of the change. To ‘let go’ of something I must fi rst realize that I’m holding it. Things to consider, for example: Transition : the human, psychological process of letting go of one pattern and engaging with a new one. really fail? IBM (2008b ) Making Change Work King, S and Peterson, L (2007 ) How effective leaders achieve success in critical how strongly I believe that good performance by me will lead to rewarding outcomes (‘instrumentality’) – another personal and subjective judgement. Any change initiative run in a way that encourages autonomy, mastery and purpose will be more likely to motivate people and engage their discretionary effort.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers published a study (PwC, 2004) on project and programme management practices. They conclude, amongst other things: ʻThe survey reveals an undeniable correlation between project performance, maturity level and change management. The majority of the best performing and most mature organisations always or frequently apply change management to their projects.ʼ This highlights the need for alignment of change and project management practices and for ensuring appropriate organizational structure. The book covers all the key areas including understanding how organisations are designed, the psychological impact of change, planning, delivering and sustaining change, benefits management, communications and stakeholder management, management of risk and much more. Letting go, repatterning and making a new beginning: together these processes reorient and renew people when things are changing all around them. You need the transition that they add up to for the change to get under the surface of things and affect how people actually work. (Bridges, 2009)

A number of the studies demonstrated that consistent application of an appropriate methodology was a further factor consistently associated with greater success. Change is a necessity for survival. This was brought home to me many years ago as I read Charles Handy’s book The Empty Raincoat: Making sense of the future ( Handy, 1994 ). He describes a pattern, the ‘sigmoid curve’ (shaped somewhat like a Greek letter ‘s’: see Figure 1.1 ). It is a classic life cycle that traces the stumbling start, the rise and success, and the eventual decay of empires, organizations, products, processes and even an individual person or career. Handy points out that the timescale is becoming ever more compressed. ‘New’ products, processes, organizations and initiatives rise and decay at an ever-faster rate. The way that change and project management practices are aligned and managed, making them appropriate to the size and structure of the organization. A picture that will engage the creative imagination of those affected, so that they can already ‘touch and feel’ the positive situation after the change. The importance of clarity about the various ways in which the organization expects to benefit from the change.

The chapter introduces a selection of infl uential models and perspectives on change. These are drawn from the wide and still-growing body of research and thought about change since the mid-20th century. All of us involved in change management have our favourite approaches and models – and it is inevitable that those I have selected and referred to will miss some of the favourites of each reader. My hope is that the way I have described and presented this selection will encourage readers to explore further, using the references to build their own change manage-ment perspective.A single-volume learning resource, it covers the range of underpinning knowledge required to embed change successfully. It includes chapters from esteemed and established thought leaders on topics ranging from benefits management, stakeholder strategy, facilitation, change readiness, project management and education and learning support. Covering the whole process from planning to implementation, it offers practical tools, techniques and models to effectively support any change initiative. These choices cannot be made appropriately if considering the change in isolation. The change exists in a particular organizational context, and there are many factors in that wider context that should shape the design choices for a change process. Factors listed by Balogun and Hope Hailey include: How individuals and teams can be supported through the change by good leadership, appropriate training and great facilitation. They also found that the success rate of change projects using a dedicated change manager rose by 19 per cent compared to those that did not.