Organizational Change Management (OCM) is the framework for managing the effect of new business processes, changes in organizational structure, or cultural changes within an enterprise. Frequently, the most significant challenges of OCM lie, not in managing the technical or operational aspects of change, but in managing the impact on people. netlogx provides an OCM approach that is people-focused and results-oriented. We follow proven OCM protocols, but, more importantly, we recognize the human factor.
There are six steps to creating a successful organizational change:
- Define the change and how it aligns to the business goal
- Determine impacts
- Develop a communication strategy
- Provide training
- Implement a support structure
- Measure the change process
Effective OCM addresses and works to ease the impact of changes and the transition from the current state to the future state, including:
- Minimizing the impact on productivity
- Reducing the possibility of a negative impact on customers
- Quickly achieving the desired business outcome
- Avoiding unnecessary turnover or loss of valued employees
Without an OCM framework, an organizational change could lead to minimal buy-in from the various stakeholders. Or worse yet, no buy-in at all. Then the change that was meant to improve an organization ends up not being utilized or utilized poorly, having wasted the time, resources, and efforts of all involved. Employees could be frustrated by the change or the communication and implementation tactics of the change and choose to leave the company for a different opportunity.
OCM provides the tools and techniques to manage all six levers of OCM and coordinates them to create a plan for success. The six levers of organizational change are:
- Communication
- Sponsorship
- Organizational alignment
- Training
- Resistance management
- Rewards and reinforcement
Take a look at how our consultants can help your organization manage a successful organizational change.
Readiness Assessments
The first step to an OCM plan is to perform a readiness assessment, which will help determine if a company is ready to make a change. This assessment will not only document the level of preparedness for the project sponsors but will also provide a roadmap of recommendations upon which to build your plan for change.
Some of the elements addressed in the assessment include:
- Examining project goals and objectives to determine if they are in alignment with the organization’s mission and goals
- Determining leadership support
- Performing a cost analysis to compare projected future benefits against the cost of the project or change
- Reviewing new and old system capabilities and compatibility
Data Collection, Feedback Analysis and Corrective Action
At the outset of any organizational change implementation, it’s important for our consultants to know the background of the change to properly communicate to employees. We ask questions such as:
- What are the project’s objectives?
- What is the staff’s opinions overall of the upcoming new processes?
- Did all levels of staff have a voice in the decisions?
- Were all levels of staff allowed to provide feedback?
- Is this a required federal or state change that has to be implemented, regardless of preferences?
Once we have researched this information, then we can approach any group with a better understanding and the knowledge to guide them with the change’s ultimately positive outcomes. Typically, our consultants bring together a group of client staff involved in the business process at different points. netlogx then facilitates a session to document the current state As-Is business process and gather feedback on issues and opportunities within the current process.
Data and documents determining the current As-Is processes are collected, issues and concerns are noted, and all documentation and data collected are analyzed. This helps identify redundancies, bottle-necks, and other issues that contribute to process inefficiencies.
During this time, our netlogx consultants make recommendations regarding potential solutions for the issues and opportunities identified. The business then will review the recommendations and select which to implement. These selected recommendations would be incorporated into the To-Be process.
Identifying and staying ahead of any issues as the project progresses better ensures success. Recommendations made from the current process analysis are noted and addressed in the future or To-Be process design.
To-Be Design
Our consultants work with area subject matter experts to review and analyze current state documentation, collect business requirements, and address issues and pain points. Agreed recommendations as a result of the As-Is process mapping are incorporated into an efficient To-Be model that will address the changes taking place and streamline the processes.
Designing the To-Be process is facilitated by business process mapping—the visual documentation of a business process from start to finish. This is accomplished by identifying roles and responsibilities, system inputs and outputs, and business tasks and decisions.
Business process mapping sessions are most successful when the team involved includes the ground-level staff completing the work. These staff best understand how the process really works, including current issues and opportunities for improvement. It’s crucial to include representation from all stakeholder groups involved in the business process.
Communication and Communication Planning
Communication during an organizational change is critical to a project’s success. A thorough communication plan alleviates issues created by miscommunication and confusion. netlogx consultants set expectations surrounding what information will be communicated, when and in what manner, providing consistency in message and method. Communication illustrates a clear vision, aligns expectations and demonstrates the commitment of the stakeholders.
With consistent communication and awareness of progress throughout the project, team members have added security and confidence. Employees begin to see the advantages of the new processes once they’re able to see actual results.
Our consultants ensure that clear and concise communication occurs at regular and consistent intervals with opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions. This communication helps clarify what is and is not going to change, as well as the rationale behind it.
Creating a healthy exchange of ideas with two-way communication builds collaboration needed for a successful transition and promotes business process improvement. People who clearly understand what is going on are less likely to resist change and more likely to accept and even embrace the change effort.
Each stakeholder group receives messages tailored to their particular needs, disseminated by a variety of means to ensure messages are heard and understood.
Once a thorough communication plan is created, it will be provided to the business users for execution. Utilizing client end-users as the champions of change and communication drivers helps alleviate fear and resistance to the change. The more organic a change initiative can be, the better.
The consultant’s role at this point is to monitor and facilitate the plan from the top to empower the end-users to drive the change themselves. This inspires stakeholder buy-in at all organizational levels, especially when the communication highlights need-to-know information that’s easy to understand.
Resistance Management
The most important element of an OCM effort is a clear understanding of the people involved and the circumstances in which they work. Our consultants understand the influence and power of human emotion on a person’s resistance to change.
As every change will meet with some form of resistance, a plan should be created to address it. Communicate openly, early and frequently, engaging employees to acknowledge and manage their fears. Developing a comprehensive resistance management plan allows the project team to be on the lookout for various forms of resistance and provides a prescriptive plan on how to address it.
Proper OCM helps avoid employee resistance and tension that disrupts company productivity. Our consultants help leaders understand that the employees are not always necessarily resistant to the change itself, but communication failures can demotivate and disengage employees in the process.
When employees know about a change, they have an opportunity to ask questions and to understand it better. This helps to remove uncertainty from the process and will ultimately pay huge dividends in getting an employee base to be receptive to change—creating a smooth, quick transition that will save the organization time, money, and hardships.
Training and Employee Training Development
Whatever the size of an organizational change, the impact on staff often causes unnecessary confusion or downtime. One way to mitigate any adverse side effects of an organizational change is to provide solid staff training. A well-trained employee is motivated and productive.
Training should always be included in new system and process rollouts. However, if that training only covers what button to push when, then full-time staff will find adoption of these changes challenging and might consider the change a failure.
netlogx consultants can stand side-by-side with you to deliver training or guide your trainers through the process. Trainees should receive full documentation to guide them with training manuals, desk-level procedures, and job aids to alleviate any anxiety and uncertainty.
Our Method
Organizational change is a process, not an event. It’s not something that is planned and executed immediately, but rather a process that occurs over time. It takes collaborative input from every part of the business to develop the detailed process that must occur to achieve desired and successful results.
netlogx has identified that the best foundation for any OCM project is a combination of several methodologies. We use the best components from different methodologies and modify them to fit our clients. netlogx leverages repeatable processes honed over decades of process improvement and change management efforts.
netlogx’ Change Management Model is a roadmap for successful organizational change:
- Understand the case for change
- Identify project and organizational risks
- Determine best communication vehicles for key stakeholder messages
- Establish a project calendar
Our consultants maximize the potential for positive responses by engaging key resources early in the process, clearly communicating roles and expectations, and delivering appropriate training at the right time.
Changes must be woven into the culture’s fabric to make them compatible with the organization’s values and policies. OCM work not only provides logistical benefits, it demonstrates that a company cares about the morale of the team, and that leadership is willing to invest in its people to make the project a success.
netlogx is a strong partner who understands what is needed to manage change and has the resources to implement a successful effort.
