5 minutes
In part two of this series, unlock effective change management with five additional strategies to drive successful transformations.
In last month’s blog post, I introduced the topic of change management by describing how it is one of the most overlooked and undervalued leadership skills. There are many facets to being an effective change agent for your organization. You can’t half-manage change. You have to do a thorough job, which is why I’ve identified 10 strategies for achieving optimal change management results.
In Part 1 of this two-part post, we discussed the first five of 10 steps to successfully achieving change management: (1) Answer your “why” questions; (2) Leaders have to lead; (3) Create a plan; (4) Secure employee buy-in; and (5) Develop a communication plan. This month, we delve into five additional steps that will help you land the plane successfully on your change management journey.
6. Identify Training Needs
Training is a critical component of any change initiative. Whether the change involves a new IT program, a new process or practice, employees will need training to ensure they can perform the tasks required of them.
How do you know what skills will be needed for the change? Start by assessing your team’s current skills. Some of these skills will be transferable to the new system, but others will not. Training will help bridge these skill gaps to ensure a smooth transition from the old way of doing things to the new.
Leaders play a vital role in the training phase of the change process. They can help their employees adapt by offering ongoing coaching and bringing in outside experts to provide additional training as necessary. Leaders are also vital to ensuring that employees have the resources they need to succeed. Make sure you include these training requirements in your change management plan (see step #3 from last month’s post).
7. Celebrate WINS
Celebrations are a way to recognize and reward contributions to the change project. Look for ways to celebrate wins early and often. As an example, the first celebrations might be appropriate during the pilot stage (see step #8), when some of the initial work in the project is starting to pay off. By recognizing and celebrating such successes and milestones, you’re helping your people feel valued and motivating them to continue their good work. I often like to set up some low-hanging wins that we know we can celebrate early. It’s amazing how much celebration can elevate the drive for success.
Celebrations are an excellent way to reinforce desired behaviors by helping employees feel empowered and increasing their buy-in. You can’t just tell employees that the project is a success. They need to feel it. The best way to do that is by acknowledging wins and giving everyone a reason to celebrate.
8. Start with a Pilot
A pilot is a vital step in any significant change project, allowing you to identify potential problems and make adjustments before committing additional resources to the change. Make sure that employees understand that the pilot is only an interim step. Let them know that you welcome their feedback as you work to refine the next phase of the implementation plan.
No change is perfect in the first week. It typically takes three, four or five iterations for a new policy or practice to meet expectations. That’s why the pilot is so essential for the ultimate success of your change project. Change is not a win-or-lose proposition; it’s more of a “what’s next” iterative approach.
9. Track Progress
The best way to track progress is to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the change. To determine the KPIs you wish to track, ask yourself: “What processes do we want to change? How much do we hope to change them? What are the most appropriate KPIs for measuring our success?” Depending on the project, some of the KPIs you may wish to measure are cost reductions, return on investment, loans closed per month, member satisfaction, employee retention, operational efficiency and sales growth.
Use the KPIs to regularly review progress against objectives and goals. Adjust and adapt the new process until it achieves the KPIs you have identified as your barometers for success. Remember, new iterations may require a change in KPIs.
10. Embed the Change
Once a change has been successfully implemented, your best chance to ensure sustainability is to embed the change in the culture, processes and systems within your credit union. Sustaining change is often difficult because old habits are hard to break. Human nature is to go back to the way we always used to do things. The key is to create new habits by updating processes, policies and procedures to support the new way of working. Foster a culture of continuous improvement. That’s what keeps the organization agile and responsive to the marketplace.
Organizational change is not easy. There are a variety of obstacles, such as unexpected costs and delays, as well as psychological barriers that cause people to fear or resist change. By effectively managing change, you can minimize those disruptions. Begin by creating a comprehensive and cohesive change management strategy to guide your organization toward success.
Stepping into the gap between corporate complacency and organizational excellence is where Lesley Sears strives to be. Now VP/consulting services for CUES. In her role at CUES, Lesley leads CUES Consulting, which provides talent strategy support to credit unions of all sizes. Lesley is passionate about helping leaders find their company’s superpowers in talent development through a holistic approach: identify–develop–document-repeat. She’s a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, a certified executive leadership coach and has over 20 years of experience consulting with organizations across many industries to strategically develop their talent’s best selves. When she’s not working to help organizations maximize their potential, you can find her digging in her flower beds, reading or watching classic movies. Maybe, on a good morning in the spring and fall, you’ll find her running—really slowly.
