Importance of change management

Automation, HyperAutomation, Digital Transformation – All the three are programs that bring about certain changes in the ways organizations operation. 

• Do you remember the last time you tried to change the colour of your room? 

• Do you remember the conversation you had with your parent when you changed their phones or television sets the last time? 

• Do you remember the conversation on the dinner table with your spouse when you changed a recipe from the typically made one, to a new variant? 

What stands out from the above three conversations? Mostly the following – 

• Someone was trying to change something that was a norm. 

• Someone was expecting that the change will make someone’s life or experience easier or better. 

• In each conversation the other common aspect was – Resistance. Resistance to change. 

Now, again think of the above three scenarios and answer the following: 

• How did you resolve the situation? 

In most of the cases, you ended up using your power of knowledge, authority, love or seniority to conclude. 

This wasn’t easy. It was difficult because of the following reasons: 

• People resist change. 

• People want to continue with something that works for them. 

• People want to challenge new ways of thinking, so the comfort zone stays. 

• It is more of an emotional affair, than a practical one. 

The change could of any type it will result in a discussion between two or more people who must agree to the change and get aligned on the thought process of the what the change is. 

This agreement can be reached by amicable means or by force. But the agreement is necessary!  

Now adding an official touch to the context – 

These people who need to reach an agreement are called Stakeholders. Stakeholders are the people who are impacted by the change being implemented. Mckinsey says 70% of the Change programs fail to achieve their goals. The two major reasons for failure sited by them are 

• Employee resistance  

• Lack of Management Support. 

These are the two major types of stakeholders which are impacted by the change in an organization. The human tendency of resistance comes from the fact that it is hard to predict the consequences of a change. The process of change management challenges the comfort zones. 

The readiness to a Change should be the pre-step of any of a Change Program. This can facilitate Change awareness and can start imprinting the goals and benefits of the program. Once the people find the conditions motivating, the support starts to flow in. 

The readiness to change comes from -

• Building awareness about the change. 

• Making a strong case for the change and communicating it all the time. 

• Focusing on people first. 

There are various models that can be followed for Change adoption -

• Clinical Approach – Seeking professional help by engaging external consultants like KPMG, BCG, EY etc.

• Linear Approach – Managerial approach driven by an authority with steps that have to be strictly followed. Kurt Lewis says any change follows the following three steps 

1. Unfreeze 

2. Change 

3. Freeze 

• Emergent Approach – A process-centered approach to change in which organizational change is seen as continuous and evolving.  

In a nutshell, a change is about people and mindset. And it all boils down to a leader who can drive the people.