In today's rapidly-evolving world, change is inevitable in organizations. Whether it's introducing new tools or updating processes, change management is critical to ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. However, it's no secret that change can be difficult for individuals to accept and implement, and organizations often face resistance from their employees.
So, how can you master change management for better tool adoption and success?
In a recent webinar, Melanie Fellay, CEO and Co-founder of Spekit, and Theresa Griffith, VP of Organizational Development and Change Management at Ensono , discuss the importance of effective change management strategies and how to implement the right methods and tools within an organization’s culture.
The three C’s of organizational change management
The backbone of successful change management consists of three key elements - Commitment, Competency, and Confidence.
1. Commitment
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles to change. Employees resist change because the thought of moving away from familiar practices and engaging in a new way of completing their assigned tasks feels disruptive and intimidating. Many organizations rely on training to solve this issue, but the truth is that training alone is not enough to help employees overcome those feelings. Organizations must generate excitement and enthusiasm around upcoming changes and motivate their teams to look forward to those changes. Even the most beneficial changes within an organization will fall flat if your employees are not committed to implementing them.
Getting your employees to commit to change takes preparation and relatable messaging. At Ensono , organizational change management leaders get involved a minimum of 30 days prior to training to ensure they are addressing fears related to upcoming changes and that employees understand the need for the change, how it will benefit them, and why they should be excited about it.
2. Competence
Once committed, employees need to feel competent in their ability to integrate the changes into their workflow and continue to be successful. Effective training is essential at this stage in the change management process. Employees need to feel that they have the training necessary to complete familiar tasks after changes have been implemented. Ineffective or inadequate training forces employees to make guesses on how to complete tasks or figure out how to find the answers, which can ultimately lead to inaccurate or insufficient organizational data.
However, it’s also important to recognize that you can’t teach everything! Utilizing a change management tool allows you to provide instantaneous access to information when your team needs it, especially for processes they don’t use very often. These tools can play an important role in ensuring that your employees continue to feel competent after training is complete.
3. Confidence
The final, and critical, element for success is confidence. Employees must feel confident in their abilities to continue working at the same pace and rhythm they are used to, or they won't engage in a changing culture. Building confidence can be achieved by continuing to address pain points and offer support long after changes have been implemented. Listen to your employees, discover where they may lack confidence in new practices and processes, and then work to meet their needs.
Change management software like Spekit offers an effective solution to these issues by providing reliable support at their fingertips, increasing competence and confidence in new information and processes.
The fourth C for success in change management
Spekit’s Melanie Fellay added a critical fourth element of successful change management - consistency. Fear of change often comes from the element of surprise. To help minimize surprises, you need consistency and repeatable processes. When an employee has questions about a new process, they must receive consistent guidance and know where to find reliable, accurate information.
Providing your employees access to consistent information and support is key to successful change management within your organization. Spekit is the "consistent coach" that provides company-driven talking points, battle cards, videos, and other resources that can help employees navigate changes in the flow of work
The necessary skills for a career in change management
Are you interested in having a positive impact on change within your organization? Effective change management requires a particular set of skills. These skills include project management, training knowledge and experience, knowledge of communication psychology, and experience in or knowledge of the design process.
Having these skills can help identify a bad process and address it before it becomes a bigger problem, which will catapult you to leader status within the change management field.
Three key ways to improve your change management strategy and communication today
In order to improve your organization’s change management strategy and communication, you must address your team’s heart, mind, and ego.
Here are 3 key ways to get started today:
- Develop commitment by raising excitement around the change. Tell them why they should care about this change and how it is making their life better. Do this well in advance of changes that will affect their workflows and routines.
- Implement effective training processes to ensure that your employees feel competent in integrating the change into their already familiar processes. Understand that while you can’t teach everything, you CAN have resources available to answer common questions and address potential issues.
- Nurture confidence in the change by offering multiple levels of support that are readily available. Provide a visual indicator that meets your employees where they are in the change process and lets them know where they can find the information they need, when they need it.
Change management software like Spekit helps to simplify this process, ensuring that people receive consistent information and instructions when, where and how they need it.
Change management is a critical component of successful organizations. Stagnant practices and processes can be a recipe for disaster in the modern business world. Ultimately, your level of success is driven by how fast you can move as a culture and how you are making change a habit within your organization. When change becomes something that people lean into within your organization and your team has the tools to exercise that muscle, you can move towards your goals more quickly and avoid wasting time on overcoming obstacles to change.
Organizations that focus on their people when it comes to change management communication and implement tools to optimize their change management strategies will be ahead of the curve when it comes to organizational culture change and efficient process transformation.
Want to hear more on change management from two amazing industry leaders?
Tune in on-demand to learn more about the methods and tools for successful change management within your organization today!
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