How can you improve change management processes?

Embracing change is not just about acquiring new skills or adapting processes; it begins deep within ourselves. It's essential that we acknowledge this discomfort, not as a deterrent, but as an indicator that we're pushing boundaries and stepping into uncharted territories. Furthermore, we must challenge ourselves to set aside preconceived notions that can cloud our perspective. By doing so, we pave the way for a curious mindset - one that seeks to understand, learn, and evolve without the constraints of past biases. True change, after all, demands a holistic readiness from within, coupled with an insatiable curiosity about the world around us.

Involve people in change from start to the end... let them lead the change and own it to avoid resistance to change. Communicate change vision and its progress consistently.

Change has to be aided.It has to be prepared for by “enablers” within the organisation and beyond, if needs be.Change has to be advocated for by strategic individuals who are themselves “ immersed” in accepting it. Those are the ‘change champions” and “ agents” who will influence “others “ to buy into it. Change has to be well communicated to avoid resistance. Involve those who are to be affected - make them part of the “plenary” processes as much as possible. Also “ incentivise” those who buy into it - do not necessarily bribe but incentivise them. During the actual advent ,’proper change management processes are to be rolled out to support especially those who might be having fears that they will be adversely affected.

When it comes to assessing your readiness to drive a change initiative: So one lesson I have learnt repeatedly from having directly led many, many change programs over the last 25 odd years in my professional career: Double your estimated timeline of change, double your estimated resources planned - and halve the expected number of people you think will be the early adopters.

In the hospitality industry, change management is generally conducted in a haphazard way resulting in failure or forced acceptance. Ensuring that you have a plan in place before attempting change management is vital to its success and sustainability. My favorite change management model is Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, and it begins with a sense of urgency. Kotter's method is highly regarded for its emphasis on preparing and accepting change rather than the actual change itself, reflecting the idea that change is a process rather than a single event. For the additional 7 steps, perform a quick search of "Kotter's 8-Step Change Method." Next time you're leading change, consider employing Kotter's process for a higher chance of success.

The first thing you need to do is to anticipate resistance and build strategies to mitigate that resistance. Unless you do that, your chances of success are relatively low. Change doesn’t fail on its own. If fails because people resist it.

Building a change strategy is by far the most crucial part. In order to make a change, you have to understand there are 3-4 groups that people fall into. You have the early adaptors. this group of people will jump at the chance to try something new and push an idea forward with little effort. Then you have your main group that once they see the early adaptors embracing it, they will follow suite. Last you have the laggards, the hardest group to get over the gap. Once you identify these groups, then you start with the early adaptors and move on. You set timelines to put things into place and then after a predetermined time period, you destroy the old way. This way people can't revert back, undoing the change.

I believe that a clearly communicated, shared definition of what success looks like is key to bringing a change effectively. Clear understanding of what is to be achieved and why the changed is need to make that happen will enable leaders to take the organisation on the journey with them. Metrics of success will map that journey and ensure that all stakeholders enjoy a sense of accomplishment as each small step towards change is achieved.

I like the above examples and would also include the following in my humble opinion; Empower your teams-Give them all the tools, training, and encouragement they need to succeed in your change management goals. After all; Martin Luther King JR once said; “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

First, have an engagement strategy so the right people get the right information at the right time to keep momentum going and course correct in time. Second, since change is so hard especially when it involves pivoting from established behaviour and processes people need the “what’s in it for me”, understand the risk or the payoff to create the motivation needed. And this relatable communication of where, why, how needs to be executed steadily, consistently and continuously. Third, people relate most to their office or team so local or team leaders are important in this communication chain. Select what goes via active participation from leaders vs a central or a transformation team.

I would add; 1-Be a visionary & deeply believe in it and passionately pursue it. When you have a clear vision and commitment to it you are already on your way to convincing others to follow the same path. 2-Exercise Your EQ Skills because when others are emotionally involved with you in it they make a deep connection with you and make it both a mission & a cause which is very powerful. Instead of merely selling it to them like generic facts at a Board or budget meeting that may draw yawns from them with them ultimately approaching it like a chore half heartedly, be inspiring and passionate about it and they will too! (See my comments attached to an excellent article I reposted about Emotional Intelligence that can be found in my profile)

Have a cross-divisional and diverse team to start your change process. Make sure everybody who needs to be involved in your pilot project gets a voice. Different collaboration methods like collaborative platforms can be included to receive all relevant information. Be transparent with your milestones and expectations to avoid frustration within the team. Leave room for constructive criticism to be able to pivot if necessary.

Managing risk falls under Step 5 in Kotter's 8-Step Change Method, "Enabling Action by Removing Barriers." Identify and remove any barriers to change. This includes changing systems or structures that undermine the change vision and encouraging risk-taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions. To expand, identify potential barriers, analyze organizational structures, address HR barriers, encourage risk taking and non-traditional ideas, remove bureaucratic obstacles, empower action, facilitate communication, align incentives and performance metrics, and provide on-going support and resources.

To be able to evaluate your outcomes, your metrics need to be transparent, understood, shared, and documented by the team to begin with. Different expectations lead to hurdles in your process. Have clear and reachable milestones. Find out, why things weren't working well to figure out, which area of your process needs more attention in the next phase (budget, vision, stakeholders, communication, etc.)

Best practice is to use the Kotter's change model - 1. Creating a Sense of Urgency 2. Putting Together a Guiding Coalition 3. Developing Vision and Strategies 4. Communicating the Change Vision 5. Remove Barriers to Action 6. Accomplish Short-Term Wins 7. Build on the Change 8. Make Change Stick

Driving change is not easy & requires a combination of risk taking & strategic planning skills along with a hefty dose of optimism and confidence thrown in because most people prefer to remain in their comfort zones & are habitual creatures of habit dwelling in the safety of their daily routines making them both predictable and vulnerable. Change is disruptive but often necessary. Finally, you ask your senior directors or clients who want so much accomplished yet are hesitant to disrupt the mundane routine of their staff whose energies exerted are akin to marching in place but going nowhere; Do you want a bus driver or a change driver? The time is now, let’s do it now before someone else capitalizes on our weaknesses & beats us to it!

The organization is a set of different perceptions that are framed through a set of rules, practices, and environments. Change management should be a standard approach toward any organizational process involving people. The focus of change effects should be on employees' well-being and motivation, with particular attention on organizational and interpersonal communication. Change is a neurological process, and if you don't address the whole system parts, it will show some disbalance. I see any sustainable change as a three-step process: 1. Orientation 2. Adaptation 3. Calibration Once you have established direction and dimensions of change, you must build consistency and a change mindset as an ongoing process, that has become a habit.

It is not enough to just set your strategy and develop your roadmap. It is critical to define the priority of each action on your roadmap, new things will come up while executing the change. What are you willing to sacrifice and what has to be implemented no matter what happens. Also define your sunk cost threshold, at which point are you willing to stop the implementation? Sometimes external forces move faster than your implementation, this is seen especially now with AI development.