Bill Lewis, Author at KnowledgePath Consulting, Inc.

Author: Bill Lewis

Generation Z and Change

February 10, 2018February 10, 2018
by Bill Lewis

When working through major organizational change, barely a blip on anyone’s radar is Generation Z.

The oldest of this generation (born between 1999 and 2010) is just now entering the workforce, so it seems unnecessary to worry about whether they can let go of a business’ old way of doing things. However, it would be foolish not to consider their ability to unlock the positive potential of implementing continuous improvement initiatives well past the completion of a major project.

In previous posts, we have discussed the change management strategies associated with four other generations of employees as it relates to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. Generation Z represents one of the smallest bands of employees you have, but over the next decade it will be your fastest growing group and will occupy many of the front-line and support positions that keep a company moving forward.

In the short-term, it’s not unusual to be concerned about whether they can handle change. After all, there aren’t that many of them, they occupy jobs where employees are easily replaceable, and as a result, they haven’t built much credibility to offer a voice to their concerns. In the here and now, that’s not a resume for a great asset. So with this group, you should look more toward the future.

They’re still in learning mode

Anyone you’ve hired recently who just finished figuring out your current system is going to be naturally frustrated at the prospect of learning yet a new system. Generation Z will be less frustrated in that they’re not far removed from their formal education and are still in rapid learning mode. On top of that, consider the relief they might feel when a new ERP essentially levels the playing field inside the building. Suddenly, many of their older coworkers are feeling as awkward as they are. If your core team handles this situation the right way, it is an opportunity for generations to bond and exchange knowledge across generations that will ultimately benefit the company.

Tech is the norm, not the exception

Generation X grew up during the proliferation of gaming platforms and early versions of the personal computer, and they made their parents feel dumb with how quickly they adopted the technology and ferreted out the nuances of the programs. Millennials did the same as they grew up with the Microsoft suite of products as common tools.

Now consider Generation Z.

They’ve been putting together PowerPoint slides since elementary school. While Generation X might point at their smartphone and think of it as a cell phone with extra capabilities, Generation Z looks at the same device as a hand-held information processing device that opens up a window to the world and as a side benefit allows you to speak directly with other people (though why do that when you can text?). If you want to get the most out of your new ERP, then you need to find a way to give Generation Z free rein to explore. Ideally, you want all of your employees to look for better ways to work, but this is the generation that will take the greatest advantage of it. As you’re setting up your ERP, pay attention to your company processes for sharing knowledge. Once you have a good process in place, make sure Generation Z knows how to make good use of it.

Channel their social behavior

Sharing information is what they’re primed to do. They start with the mindset of transparency. Building on the previous idea of setting up continuous improvement protocols, consider internal message boards and training wikis as tools to have so that employees can talk about things they’ve discovered within the system or to collaborate on troubleshooting. Several ERP vendors are setting these up among their customers. It could be that your Generation Z employees are among the most apt to be able to establish internal social media platforms for your business and encouraging coworkers to make use of it.

The bottom line is that you should start preparing for Generation Z to be a major force in your business over the next decade. The faster you can reap the benefits of their imaginations and tech-savviness, the quicker you will transform your youngest employees into unique company assets.

This post wraps up our series on generations and change. Stay tuned for a full summary download available in the coming weeks.

Business Transformation

The Traditionalist and change

February 3, 2018February 5, 2018
by Bill Lewis

Think about the oldest and the youngest employees in your company and how they work. Do they approach work the same way? Probably not. They won’t approach or deal with change the same way either.

In the last few posts I have discussed Change Management as Risk Management around generations in your workforce; you will mitigate your risk significantly when you address change successfully with your people. Since change happens at the pace of the individual, how do you help hundreds or even thousands of people change effectively in your organization with up to five generations working within any given organization?

Last time, I wrote about the Baby Boomers and how to help them experience successful Organizational Change Management (OCM). Today, I’m discussing the oldest generation currently in our workforce: the Traditionalist.

The Traditionalist

Born before 1945, many in this generation have retired, but not everyone! This generation has seen more significant change in the world than any other group, and younger generations often dismiss the idea that Traditionalists will be willing or able to change in their work environment. By extension, younger generations also tend to dismiss the value that Traditionalists bring. But, it’s amazing how a little information can change that thought and help people work together.

Here are some generalizations about the Traditionalist (keeping in mind of course that these are generational themes and don’t define every individual):

They believe the top-down approach to leadership is the most effective. They trust their leaders to know where the organization is going and what needs to be done to get there.
Based on this trust of leaders, they may not require significant detail or depth of explanation on the change initiative as a relates to the overall strategy.
They respond to an emphasis on transition.

So, what do you do with this information? Here are a few quick thoughts to help the Traditionalist make a successful change, so they can make a valuable contribution to the changes ahead.

First, present the vision and make sure that it is communicated from the top. This should be part of any change initiative, and there is no exception here.

It is very important to validate the work the Traditionalist has done in the past. Acknowledge the value they have brought and then help them separate from the old way of doing things. Create safety in the uncertainty of the in-between. A roadmap is helpful here. Show them point A to point B and what the road can look like in between. It can take the fear and guesswork out of the fuzzy middle when everything seems in an uproar, and it may feel like the direction is lost.

Include Traditionalists in your project teams. This will make them be part of the change while positioning the company to benefit from their organizational knowledge. They have knowledge and a background that is missing in the younger workforce. Traditionalists were often there when certain company cultures were formed or remember which mistakes were made during previous transformations. If they can be reminded that they have this background and expertise so to speak, it will help them see that they still have a place in the changing environment.

One quick note to keep in mind on this point: because change of this significance is always hard, it is a common occurrence for those with longevity in your company to become vocal naysayers. When they have seen a lot of change through the years, they will most likely have examples from the past of a similar initiative that failed. While doubt is understandable, it is important to remind everyone that you will learn from those failure points. Doing so will acknowledge the past and the Traditionalist’s experiences. Then encourage your team with the present reality: much has changed in the past few years alone. Just because something was a failure in the past should not dictate its preoperative demise. You will need to strike a balance between bringing in the value of learning from the past and preventing a derailment of the project over a naysayer perspective.

In some cases, a Traditionalist may choose to work on the periphery of the project because of retirement plans, however because of their knowledge and first-hand experiences, it is important to involve them in the change you are seeking for your company. Doing so not only allows you to capture valuable and often undocumented knowledge, but it also means they won’t feel left behind- something which is unfortunately a common situation in the face of the ever-changing workplace of today.

Remember, change with your ERP modernization or transformation will only be as successful as your people who work there, so give all members of your workforce the opportunity to be part of the change.

Next time, I’ll complete this series on generations and change at the other end of the generation spectrum, Generation Z. Sign up to receive notifications when we post, so you don’t miss anything.

ERP

Align Baby Boomers and Change

January 27, 2018January 31, 2018
by Bill Lewis

35% of today’s workforce is made up of Baby Boomers. As with every generation, there are some generalizations that impact their outlook on careers and their role in a company. As you prepare for an Enterprise Resource Planning tool (ERP) replacement or modernization, the Baby Boomer generation deserves a high priority as you develop your change management plan. The requirements this group has for successful change align well with any major initiative: the need for an extremely well thought out strategy and transparent communication.

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, meaning they are in their 50s through early 70s. Because of their longevity of experience in the workforce and the proportion of workers (the aforementioned 35%), they are typically well-represented among the leadership positions in the company. The youngest among them have been in the workforce as adults since about 1982. Even if they haven’t spent decades with the same company, they likely have the longest tenures within the industry and hold positions that are commensurate with the experience they’ve acquired.

Because they typically hold these leadership positions, and because of the wealth of knowledge they possess, it’s imperative that they have buy-in for any change initiatives at the inception of the project. The workforce needs to see that changes have approval from the top in order for people to believe that a sustainable effort toward progress is underway. The workforce can also gain valuable insight from their experience as change takes place within the organization.

Buy-in for change initiatives

To achieve their buy-in, here are some generalizations to understand their perspective:

The Baby Boomers came of age by changing every market they entered — the consumer, job, and stock market. Their generation challenged the cultural norms and sought to implement changes that aligned with their sensibilities of what is right and wrong.
Organizationally, Baby Boomers — like the Traditionalists before them — have a large degree of trust in leadership’s ability to create a strategy; however, they are a bit more cynical when it comes to the changes required to meet the strategy.
Boomers want to know specifically how the initiatives align with the strategy and how the changes will benefit their needs — a vital perspective to possess when considering significant change.
If the change initiatives won’t meet their needs, Baby Boomers will want to make some changes within the organization, or they may leave to find what they need.
It is imperative that each of the three phases of transition (separation, in between, and integration) is clearly identified for the Baby Boomer.

In order to appeal to this group, a well-thought out plan needs to be presented to them. This means that you will have to take time to jump into the details of what a large change will mean and how it will be executed.

Define the ultimate goal. It’s easy to get lost in the notion that the change initiative is the goal: something on which everyone will be concentrating. The change is actually the means to another end. Start with what you are hoping to achieve and quantify it. It’s better to say that you expect 15% year-over-year growth in net profit than to set the ultimate goal as “faster growth.”

List the benefits to the organization. This goes hand-in-hand with setting the goal. In respect to change management of an ERP system, you’re looking for increases in efficiency that lead to better uses of human resources, better planning tools that increase on-time performance and shortens lead-time requirements, or better analytical tools for internal information, so company leadership can recognize market opportunities sooner.

Explain the benefits to the work force. When you’re planning a major shift in the day-to-day operations of your business, people will get on board if they understand the benefits they will individually enjoy. If salespeople are free to increase their customer base, then they will increase their commissions. If three minutes are shaved off the order entry procedure, sales support staff can process more orders.

Share the plan. Baby Boomers need to see the major milestones of a large initiative, so they can understand the logic of how you’re moving from your current state to your future state. The overall plan can be a work in progress when they see it, but more detail needs to be filled in for the early stages. Also, make sure they know who is involved in the planning and what the process is for making adjustments as you move forward. Most change initiatives require gathering feedback from key people in order to benchmark progress. Baby Boomers want to know how to make their voices heard while contributing to the team effort.

Don’t sugar-coat the rough patches. Baby Boomers are going to question strategy. If you’re telling them that everything will be fine, then they’re going to think you’re lying to them or you’re blind to “obvious” problems. Either way, you lose credibility. The better path is to go over the plan and point out where the high-risk elements lie. At that point, you’ve shown that the current strategy has accounted for some difficulties, and you’re not flying blind and hoping for the best.

Each generation, as you have seen from previous posts, has specific requirements that will allow them to experience change successfully. Looking at the big picture, the pieces that each generation needs act like a puzzle. Together, they make your overall project stronger than it could be if you took only one approach. Baby Boomers help keep the company focusing on the strategic picture. You can’t plan for a successful ERP project without this strategy, and a strong, quantifiable strategy with transparent communication will enable Baby Boomers to make a successful change into your new system and future way of work. It’s a win-win.

Change and Communication

Generation X and OCM

January 4, 2018January 4, 2018
by Bill Lewis

Organizational change impacts everyone. The experience is very individual and affects everyone in a different manner. As we have explored in previous posts, approaching change through a generational lens is a useful tool to help companies manage change in a positive and productive way with an ERP or other business transformation. This post focuses on Generation X. There are two overriding themes that will help you guide change with this generation: trust and inclusiveness.

Some history

Generation X employees were born between 1965 and 1979. They are the children of Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, who sought the security of working for one organization for 30 to 40 years. Generation X saw that foundational belief fall by the wayside as parents were laid off during sweeping business changes in the 1980s and early ‘90s, and many of them experienced it first-hand during the Recession of 2008.

With less stability in workplace longevity, transparent communication became important to this group. While growing up in the 1980s, they often heard “Trust no one over 30” sparking a sense of self-reliance. The youngest of them are approaching 40 today and their experiences have given them a strong faith in themselves and less in the institutions that have failed their parents, and thus in their opinion, them as well. This includes any social contract between employer and employee which has led to a perception that they are disloyal to organizations. However, this perceived disloyalty can often be traced back to responses from poor leadership and/or less than transparent business practices- something companies need to rectify as part of a productive Organizational Change Management (OCM) strategy.

Gen X: embracing change

Don’t let the challenges I just mentioned deter you. Gen Xers also have the right attributes to not only contribute to but actually drive successful OCM. For example, this was the first generation to really embrace change, and they can help drive the change in your company if you keep a few things in mind.

Generation X represents much of your leadership

Because of their ages, they not only make up one of your most seasoned band of workers, but heavily populate your middle management roles and are infiltrating senior management positions. They are in the best position to understand the extremes of the organization. They can communicate with upper management to understand the big picture strategy, but they are still close enough to the end-users to understand the day-to-day headaches involved with the frontline jobs. Ultimately, they are the conduit for explaining the big picture to the frontline while identifying potential speedbumps to strategy to C-level management. Buy-in at this level influences the entire organization, and therefore your end transformation result.

Maintain transparent communication

Gen Xers have no hesitancy to request full disclosure of the strategy of the organization and often expect to be part of its creation. They want to have a clear picture on all the change initiatives and how the actions will serve the future- specifically, theirs. They need to know what is ultimately expected of them throughout the process, so they can manage their resources appropriately, especially if they are expected to maintain normal production goals while asking their teams to train on a new system.

Give them a voice in the process

Functionally, this is the group that will manage the ERP changes you are making now. They want to play a major role in how well they exploit its benefits through the next decade. Because this is a group that leans toward self-determination, they need to be included in the big picture to achieve your organization’s goals. They will want to contribute to the discussions regarding your transformation- from requirements gathering for the new ERP, through go-live, and beyond. To shut Gen Xers out of this process will send a signal that they have no control in the direction of the organization, or their place in it, and may unintentionally prompt them to consider moving on. It would be a major threat to the success of your ERP initiative to lose this knowledge base while moving from the legacy system to the new one.

Rely on their insight

Again, change is not a fundamental issue for Generation X. Their concern is maintaining their ability to navigate change. If they represent middle and senior level management, your organization already has been grooming them to be able to make major decisions. Because of their sense of self-reliance, Gen Xers are as ready as anyone to be held accountable for their own decisions – for better or worse. An ERP implementation or any other significant organizational transformation is not a simple process. There will be bumps along the way in the best of circumstances. Gen Xers are ready to take control and manage the issues. They will jump to the creativity of solving the problems that spring up during the transition, worry less about what they’re leaving, and focus more on what they are helping the organization achieve. They are vested in success and will provide fuel to overcome obstacles… when engaged

Generation X may have the opportunity to make the most impact on the success of an ERP transformation with perspective from many levels of your organization and an interest in hands on involvement. If your organization seems reluctant to keep this generation of management in the loop and actively listen to them when they raise justified warnings regarding the execution of strategy, then you are likely going to lose key personnel who would keep the project moving on time and on budget. Instead, gain their buy-in to the project through transparency and an active role in the process. This may be your largest group of internal influencers for change, so make sure they are part of your change management plan.

Business Transformation

Why is change so difficult?

October 10, 2017December 28, 2017
by Bill Lewis

Why don’t people change when we ask them to?

Any successful ERP project or Process Excellence program must include solid Change Management. As a leader of such a project, in order for your company to make its necessary changes successfully, there are certain challenges inherent to change which must be both recognized and addressed.

Change is a fundamental issue with any company who is working to improve or compete. The basic and obvious reason for this is that no one really likes to change. The idea of change may be a good one in theory, but when it comes down to taking action, change is h-a-r-d.

However, one of the primary reasons organizations struggle with change goes beyond the basic concept of change simply being hard. This reason answers the question, “Why is change hard?” The answer: the discrepant motivations for the change.

This discrepancy goes beyond the business or even the industry. Whether you are in finance, manufacturing, retail, or any other industry, you’ll see it. And, you’ll even feel it.

Executives want change in order to increase profitability, reduce waste, increase efficiency, and help their company become more competitive in the marketplace. In other words, they are highly motivated to change the company in large part because this change will bring about more success.

If we’re being honest, unfortunately, often times this success is often me-focused. If you’ve been around long enough in a company to go through a change of any kind, you’ve likely even witnessed it. An executive who was “in it” for themselves. In addition, the executive level of an organization is not typically the group being asked to change. They get to send out the order. They hold a meeting to tell the people what they are doing “for them.” The people then hold a “meeting-after-the-meeting” and talk about what the leaders have done “to them.” The perspective can unfortunately often sing to the tune of: “Why should we help the workforce change? Shouldn’t our leaders do what they are paid to do?”

Enter the workforce perspective:

The workforce is being asked to change what they do, and they must be respected and valued from the executive leadership level for this to go well. It may not be what the executives think is important, but it is crucial to the people being asked to make the change. If there is little interaction or communication between the people being asked to change and those dictating this change, morale and engagement will suffer quickly. When morale declines, so does productivity. It’s human nature and something I’ll discuss more at length in a future post.

Real change takes place at the level of the individual. For an organization to experience tangible, measurable change, it can only happen when the individuals being asked to make this change actually do so in a productive and lasting manner.

For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume those asking for change are the executives. Those being asked to change are the workforce.

Two Key Questions

There are two key questions the workforce has that executives need to understand and address for a productive conversation to take place regarding change:

What’s in it for me?
What are my chances for success?

When executives can help to answer and address those 2 questions for their workforce in a positive, productive way, people will actually lead themselves in change. The will have their confidence boosted, in a REAL way. Not in a false cheerleading manner.

When executives help to re-position change as a positive goal, they have just set the company, and more importantly its people, up for successful Change Management.

In the coming posts, I will address this challenge in a tangible and practical way and also discuss inherent risks of change with methods you can utilize to help ensure your project and Change Management program is a success.

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Change and Communication

Engage Millennials with Change Leadership

May 22, 2017May 23, 2017
by Bill Lewis

Millennials are one of five generations working in companies today. Their approach to life and to work is significantly different to that of previous generations. What do you need to do to make an ERP or any other transformation successful with this generational mindset?

I recently began a discussion around change and the workplace. The summation is this: Change management is one of the biggest risk points within an ERP transformation, so it is imperative that you handle your change management effectively. No pressure.

Adding to this relaxed state of mind is the fact that each of the five generations coexisting together in the workplace brings with it a different life and work perspective. So how do you productively approach change in an environment with up to five different work-life perspectives? My previous post addresses why a different approach to these groups is vital for the success of your project. Now it’s time to dive right into the group probably discussed most often: The Millennial.

Part of my work revolves around assessing an organization’s change readiness. With this, I have landed on three important findings:

Millennials were born between 1980 and 1998. They are more interested in purpose than paycheck. This is an important concept for leadership to understand because Millennials are motivated by the reason behind their work. They ask the questions why am I doing this, what is the purpose?
Millennials respond well to a coach versus a boss. You may still be their boss, but they are looking for someone who will offer leadership and coach them to improve and grow their position, grow their potential. Back in the ‘old days’ an employee worked well with a list of rules and job duties. This perspective falls more into a Traditionalist which I will discuss at another time. Millennials are focused on success at the level the of the individual first and then success of the team. Millennials want a coach who will lead them through and talk about experiences so they can come to their own conclusions. In other words, less tell and more encouragement and aim.
The motivator in past generations used to be ‘My Satisfaction’. Now it’s ‘My Development’. How high and how fast can I grow, how far I will go, what can I do? Millennials are deciding that all day long. The answer to this determines how much discretionary effort an employee will make in any given day. The key to that effort is their development.

The real key question that Millennials ask themselves in the workplace is: Can I grow here? They have an expectation on how to use the best tools possible to do their work.

Here are a few stats from Gallup:

87% Millennials surveyed say development is “ultra-important” to my job
71% of Millennials are either not engaged or actively disengaged at work. One component of this: you tell people how lousy your place of work is.
60% of Millennials are open to a new job opportunity. They are not attached to employers. This equates to high risk of turnover in the midst of your ERP implementation.

We address all three of these things in change leadership and project assurance at KnowledgePath, but the need to address this remains whether you work with us or not.

The Millennial and ERP Transformation

How does this relate to your ERP initiative? To employ change successfully with the Millennial population, you need to integrate opportunity that allows your people to grow in their capabilities. Remember, these employees ask themselves: Can I grow here? They have an expectation on how to use the best tools possible to do their work. This is not only an opportunity for your people to grow; this mindset can be a tremendous asset to your company as well – if you embrace it.

Here is one of the best advantages. An ERP change positions you for one of the best circumstances to activate the younger workforce – a system changeover marks a reset of the entire company in that with so much being remade, the newest employees suddenly aren’t as behind as the veterans. It also activates the leadership potential of the newer hires and allows them to shine because they’re less tethered to legacy methodology. Millennials don’t have the same “why” knowledge of the earlier generations, but that gives them the freedom to learn a new system with more enthusiasm.

Keep in mind, Millennials are a generation that wants to improve and grow and have an impact. If they can’t make an impact with you, they will likely move to make that impact with another company – possibly even your competitors. So embrace this mindset and provide opportunities for engagement and growth within your Millennial workforce. Build this into your ERP transformation and you will not only receive more value from your workforce, but you will reduce turnover and create a work environment that attracts a generation that wants to be part of the success.

Change and Communication

ERP Transformation: Generations and Change

May 15, 2017January 4, 2018
by Bill Lewis

Think about the generations of life experiences within your workforce. They weren’t all born since the age of cell phones or even laptops. When companies face large-scale-change such as an ERP transformation, traditional leadership thinking has focused on the technology itself, and not the generations of the workforce involved. “The workforce will just have to adjust.” End of story! But…does this mindset work? Does it net the results leadership believes it will? The answer is, frankly: probably not. But if you want to take this (multi-) million dollar risk, go for it.

The typical workplace today has up to five generations comprising its workforce. Research has shown that for a successful, sustainable change – one that sticks and one that endures – each generation needs and deserves a different approach to change based on how they view both work and life.

In the high-stakes situation of an ERP Transformation, you have high risk…but, high reward. How you handle change as a leader and as an organization will determine that reward. What and How will you choose to do it?

Do you command, dictate, tell and direct in a “this is what we Require you to do” mode?
Do you advance it a degree and operate in a “geez, I sure hope this ends up ok and people do what I Desire them to do” mode?
Or do you Aspire to Inspire? Do you approach this moment in leadership as not only a way to achieve the technological or operational improvement, but, also as a way to develop capabilities, harness an eager workforce, and provide an engaging atmosphere of “winning”?

This is important to address because effective change management is one of the most important factors to success in an ERP transformation. Outside of selecting the best ERP system for your company and business needs, change management is next in line in importance for what will make-or-break the investment.

Do not fall into the easy trap of thinking of this as a ‘soft’ or optional part of your ERP transformation. On the contrary, change translates to cold, hard facts of project cost, ROI, and efficiency. As I’ve discussed in a previous post, Change Management is Risk Management. One of your greatest risks is failing to address change in a way your workforce will relate to and make personal. And this will cost you.

In upcoming posts, I will discuss the business case, key points of each generation, and the workforce factors a company should be prepared to address for successful ERP Transformation. Please keep in mind that these conclusions are generalizations. Change happens at the “pace of the individual”. Individuals are all, well, individual. However, there are overarching concepts for each generation that act as a reliable and extremely useful guide. I’ll discuss the profiles of each of the five generations in today’s workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and finally Generation Z. Key points will include:

What they care about
How they work
How you can successfully address change with each

Remember: no matter how you want your workforce to accept change in theory, the reality is that change happens at the pace of the individual. When you work successfully with this realization, you will be able to capably and artfully move from Require to Desire to Inspire. You’ll be amazed at the results for your organization.

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Business Transformation

Change Management a.k.a. Risk Management

March 27, 2017May 1, 2017
by Bill Lewis

Who needs Change Management when you have shiny new technology or streamlined processes to solve your business woes? New, more advanced ERP systems promise streamlined workflows, decreased manual workloads, increased efficiencies… the list goes on and on and on. Process Excellence promises many of the same results. Then why do well planned and carefully executed projects so often fail?

While there are many reasons and risk points that occur throughout a project, there is one that must always be addressed for a project to experience success: Change Management. The workforce must undertake a fundamental shift from an old way of working to a new one. We often hear the words “sustainable,” “enduring,” or “lasting” when an organization makes a strategic decision to invest in a technological or process advancement. The harsh reality here is that you are at risk: at risk of a minimally less ROI, or potentially total failure, due to the most impactful asset you have becoming “unreliable.” That asset being the people, even the person, assigned to enact the change.

Without Change Management, or better said, Change Leadership, the new technology will never be used to its best capabilities, if at all. Processes will revert to old habits, and the company will have wasted time, money, and resources on something that was designed to save those very things.

To accomplish this shift effectively, organizations need to take a systematic, ideally incremental, and intentional approach.

Reduce Risk

Making the shift from working with a cumbersome, frustrating system to a newer, efficient one isn’t an easy task. A large part of this is that while real change may be observed at the level of the organization once it is in place, the real change happens at the level and pace of the individual. Simply stated, “change is not at the pace of the leader, it is at the pace and will of the individual enacting the change.”

When the individual is communicated with and educated, the likelihood of buy-in with that individual increases. They then can make the choice to be “on-board” and even advocate to others. Add in a well-structured Change Management plan, and your chances of real change go up even higher.

On the other hand, without this plan in place, risk of a failed project increases quickly. Not only will the workforce resist changing to a new way of working, but there are many other hidden risk points. Morale will go down. Engagement will dilute. Efficiency and productivity will decrease as individuals spend more time commiserating with each other. Absenteeism and turnover will increase. All of these issues are a hidden cost to a failed project. All of which can be reduced or even eliminated with the right Change Management program in place.

To help you reduce this risk, we will be publishing a series of posts with points designed to help you get on track with a successful Change – or Risk – Management program. To ensure you don’t miss any of these posts, feel free to sign up here to receive a quick notification when they’re published.

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