Change management is a vital part of PPI's commitment to performance improvement.
Most attempts by organizations to undertake significant change do not reach their goal. From 50% to 80% of large-scale change initiatives end in failure, despite all the planning and money they soaked up.
Why? Change is inherently difficult for individuals - even harder for organizations composed of many different individuals, not to mention the inertia of their own history on top of it. All too often, businesses undertake change without having accurately diagnosed the real source of their problems, secured sufficient commitment from the people affected, or allocated resources appropriately developed contingency plans for problems along the way.
How can clients avoid becoming another statistic of failure?
In a problem with this many variables, there are no guaranteed solutions. But careful planning and good management can go a long way towards helping successful change take place.
PPI uses proven methods and techniques that can help guide an organization through the perils of change, both large and small scale. Examples include:
Establishing a Shared Sense of Urgency
A shared sense of urgency is the essential underpinning of every successful change initiative. You have to be able to
understand and explain the context of the change, and to
articulate why the alternative to change-the failure to change-is less desirable than the painful work of change itself.
The first step, therefore, has to be to determine that change is in fact necessary, and that this change is necessary now.
Mobilizing Commitment
Implementing change requires that everyone involved be willing to help, even to the point of making short-term sacrifices.
- People will not make this commitment, or these sacrifices, unless they believe their efforts are necessary contributions to something that is worthwhile and achievable.
- Even if people are unhappy with the status quo, they will not make the effort to change it unless you can convince them that their participation is really useful
- It is likely that there are people in the organization whose active support and participation in the implementation of change will be important, who were not involved in the planning phase for one reason or another
- You have to bring these people on board at the earliest possible moment, before actual implementation begins. Otherwise, they can become obstacles to change and undermine the success of the whole initiative
Achieving Short-Term Wins
Major change is a long-term project that can take several years to accomplish, longer for people to thoroughly adjust and reach full productivity.
But people can't always keep their eyes focused on the long-term perspective when they are living day-to-day in the short term.
To maintain momentum and commitment, and to give people a feeling that their efforts really are paying off and producing results, it is important to provide some short-term gratification as well.
Achievable goals, once achieved, inspire people to stretch to reach the next set of goals.
Visible results allow people to measure their own success.
Recognition of hard work motivates more hard work.
Developing a Comprehensive Communication Strategy
Good communications are indispensable to successful change initiatives. Effective change communication will:
- Express a clear and coherent vision of the future
- Motivate and inspire commitment to the change program
- Provide opportunities for meaningful input and feedback
- Demonstrate trust and respect
- Explain honestly the consequences of change
- Promote understanding and acceptance of the effects of change
- Clarify new expectations, procedures, roles, structures, etc.
Training Services to Support Change
Effective training is a critical aspect of any process improvement, and can spell the difference between success and costly failure. PPI has the experience and expertise to provide you with a comprehensive training solution that gets people up to speed smoothly and enables your business to transition well to the improved process environment.
PPI's approach to process improvement training includes key elements such as:
- Core process analysis (performed as part of the Current State/Desired State Assessments)
- Validated audience segmentation
- Close coordination with designated internal resources
- User-appropriate learning materials
- Train-the-trainer programs
- Post-training performance support
Among the training-related services PPI offers are development of:
- Instructor-led courses (Participant and Instructor materials)
- Self-paced instruction material
- e-Learning programs (including CBT and web-based training)
- Distance learning
- Job aids
- Training support websites for inter/intra/extranet access
- External customer training
