By definition, business change invariably involves a change of state – moving from one way of working to another.
Think of it as though you are planning a journey, except you don’t yet know all the travel options – do you go by car, train, plane? Could you walk there or cycle it?
The point is that it will contain unknowns, so, to identify as many of them as possible, you will need to look at how each stage of the change journey needs to be undertaken. It might need a range of journey solutions to make sure that you end up at the right destination.
Your aim should be to define a plan that includes all the interactions and tasks you’ll need to carry out that allows you to deliver your change as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
A plan that identifies and records who you need help from, when that help is needed, what their input will be, and how long for.
A plan that will help you identify all those things that will get in your way, causing you long hours, more stress and extra cost.
A plan that defines how much it will all cost - after all, you don’t want to leave it to the end of your journey to find out how much you’ll have to spend to get there… better to know the cost of the ticket up front, and then build in an allowance for some detours.
You think this sounds like overkill?
If you think about the amount of time, effort and cost involved in putting things right after they go wrong, this approach will significantly reduce the likelihood of your project being derailed, and significantly increase the probability of a successful delivery of the benefits you need.
And after all, the benefits are why you're putting the thing in place! So, don't leave it to chance. Get help to get it right.
#changemanagement #businessculture #waysofworking
