{"id":2909,"date":"2012-06-06T15:00:34","date_gmt":"2012-06-06T14:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/integrationtraining.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2909"},"modified":"2012-06-06T15:00:34","modified_gmt":"2012-06-06T14:00:34","slug":"managing-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.integrationtraining.co.uk\/blog\/2012\/06\/managing-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to\u00a0Cath Davies\u00a0for this guest blog. Cath is a\u00a0Business Improvement Consultant. This article was first published in the Chartered Institute of Housing\u2019s \u201ci-opener<\/em>\u201d, January 2012.<\/p>\n

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If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lao Tzu<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201c <\/strong>In the context of recent and forthcoming changes for the social housing sector, a piece on managing change could hardly be more apposite. Many of us will have been on the wrong end of change management (CM) programmes and, by a process of reverse brainstorming (listing how not to run a CM programme), could probably write the \u201cBluffers Guide to Managing Change\u201d \u2013 a book that, judging by the figures below, may well not be out of place on many an organisation\u2019s bookshelves.<\/p>\n

To set the context, let\u2019s firstly take a couple of definitions of change management:<\/p>\n

Change management is the process, tools and techniques to manage the people-side of business change to achieve the required business outcome, and to realise that business change effectively within the social infrastructure of the workplace.<\/em> (Change Management Learning Center)<\/p>\n

The co-ordination of a structured period of transition from situation A to situation B in order to achieve lasting change within an organization<\/em>. (BNET Business Dictionary)<\/p>\n

For me, the two critical points here are that:<\/p>\n

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  1. People are the key<\/strong> \u2013 without the staff being engaged, the desired results will not be achieved.<\/li>\n
  2. Change isn\u2019t change if it doesn\u2019t stick <\/strong>\u2013 the change management process can only be judged to have succeeded or failed after checking that the desired outcomes have been achieved. This may well be several months, and likely longer, after the changes have been implemented.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Managing change is an absolutely essential competence for businesses these days as, to stay ahead of the game, businesses need to be constantly on the alert for drivers for change. Drivers for change may be performance of competitors; demands of customers or legislative requirements. \u201cUn-managed change\u201d is, at the very least, a sign of poor management. In fact, I might go as far to say that it is negligent: it wastes money; it alienates staff and is a disservice to customers.<\/p>\n

    In light of this, it\u2019s a wake-up call to look at failure rates of CM programmes: an IBM study1 reports that most CEOs believe that they and their organisation are largely ineffective at managing change. Even the change practitioners can\u2019t dress-up the dismal figures:<\/p>\n