Change Agent Confidential
Why invest in Change Management?
Use fewer people to produce higher quality results. reduce risks to on-time/on-budget delivery, accelerate project benefits, make better, faster decisions and reduce overall consulting spend by building your internal change management capability. If you are responsible for any of the above, you will find this section useful. If change management is your job, you may find it essential.
Change Management Snowflakes
I have spent the last 22 years knee deep in large scale change initiatives. I have led, coached or rescued over 30 projects for Fortune 500 companies and 5 for non profits. So far, I have yet to see two that are alike. Therefore:
Barbara’s Rule #5: Change Management is Like Snowflakes
You will use standards and best practice methods and tools of course. However, your approach and the details of what you do and how you do it must be tailored or it won’t work. Your Change Management Approach must be customized to your company culture, to your business calendar, to your project cadence (more on cadence later). It must fit your team’s needs and abilities, your stakeholders’ appetites for information and your leadership style. You manage the project by phases, gates, milestones and metrics. You manage the adoption of new behavior by understanding the best and worst of human nature, paying close attention to nuance and knowing when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and when to walk away. Change Management is alchemy: one part science and two parts artistry. Done well, it turns today’s project elements into tomorrow’s business gold.