Making Employees Part of Change is Key to Project Success
“Don’t be afraid of change. You may lose something good but gain something better.”
– Unknown
You have likely heard the saying that the only constant in life is change, a piece of wisdom first spoken by an ancient Greek philosopher over 2,000 years ago. It is proof that even then, people struggled with that fundamental – and constant – part of life. Change is never easy, but it is always necessary for growth.
A big part of my career has been spent in Project Management, and I’ve assisted many organizations through projects that will ultimately create efficiencies and further the company’s goals. However, the road from Point A to Point B has not always been easy. One thing I have learned over the years is that there are ways to approach and navigate change that can make it much easier for everyone involved, ultimately resulting in a successful project and happier employees.
Every project has a “technical” side and a “people” side to it. Project management deals with the technical aspects, and change management focuses on the people side. When planning a project, management often focuses so heavily on the “how” of the project. The “who” – those it will impact every day – is often an afterthought. Companies that focus on both ultimately have the best chance for success, with results directly tied to cost savings, project efficiencies, and employee morale.
Managing Transition
When upper management considers whether to implement a major change, their decision is typically based on how it will impact the organization as a whole, not how it will affect each individual employee. It is, however, imperative to realize that the bigger the change, the more important it is to have a change management plan in place.
Communication and transparency are the two most fundamental components of change management. If you don’t take the time upfront to create a well-thought-out message to set the stage for the employees whose day-to-day jobs will be affected, chances are employee satisfaction will suffer. It is important to begin communicating about the change as early as possible. This will help you get employee buy-in because when people feel like they are part of the change, they will be more likely to be open to it. Nobody likes to be “forced” into change, especially when they feel the way they’ve always done something works just fine.
When you begin communicating the change, “stars” will begin appearing – the employees who stand out as engaged and optimistic about the possibilities and benefits it will bring. Identifying these people and getting them engaged early in the process will benefit you tremendously as they will almost always be your biggest advocates.
Being transparent about what the process looks like will also benefit your organization in the long run. During particularly difficult projects, leaders have often realized too late that they should have done a better job preparing employees for the stress and potential pitfalls the project could bring.
A Model for Change
Just as businesses have tools and processes they follow in project management, there are helpful tools and processes that help navigate organizational change. One of these is the ADKAR model developed by Jeffrey Hiatt, founder of the change management firm Prosci. This goal-based model can be used to help successfully guide individuals through organizational change.
ADKAR is an acronym for the five stages of the process: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement, all of which are essential parts of successful change.
Awareness is the first step and involves helping employees understand that a change is needed and is done through communication. One of the most important things to remember in this step is to ensure that the right message is delivered by the right person at the right time. In other words, who is giving the information is just as important as what is being said.
For example, when a CEO addresses the change at an all-employee meeting, he or she should give big-picture reasons of why the company decided to make the change, such as how it will help accomplish its overall goals and how it will impact the bottom line. While it may be tempting for that CEO to deliver other more detailed information, that type of information is better received when given by employees’ immediate supervisors, as they have first-hand knowledge of their employees’ day-to-day jobs and how the change will impact them.
Once employees acknowledge the need for change, there must be a desire to change. This helps them realize that they, too, will benefit from the change, rather than feeling like the change is being forced upon them. This can be done by finding “change levers” or points of discontent that will be resolved when the change takes place.
As desire is built, bring those stars you identified earlier onboard to help cultivate ownership and engagement, which will create employee buy-in and make them part of the change.
Knowledge, or an understanding of what it will take to accomplish the change, is the next step and is achieved through training. It is not only important for employees to know what is happening, but how it will be done. It is also essential to provide them with whatever training it takes to help them perform their jobs comfortably and effectively. Make sure every employee gets the training they need to be successful.
Once employees have the knowledge they need to implement the change, it’s time to show them they have the ability to carry it out. This is done through coaching. Everyone knows that there will be stumbles along the way, but having trainers and leaders there to help them through any challenges that arise will help them feel confident. This is the phase where the rubber meets the road, and the change becomes visible.
The change management process doesn’t end when the change is implemented. There must be reinforcement after the initial project has been completed. This is the time when leaders reward and recognize employees for all they did to make the project successful and celebrate victories, both large and small. I’ve worked with organizations that gave every employee an “I survived” t-shirt during a celebration at the conclusion of a particularly large conversion – a visible token that builds community and shows appreciation for those who worked hard to make the change possible.
The Leadership Role
The most effective driver for change is active, visible and involved leadership. And a leader doesn’t have to have a certain title – it can be anyone in the organization that encourages or discourages change. Ensuring leadership is all on the same page at the beginning of the project is essential, as all it takes is one person to poison the well for the project to lose momentum.
There are countless resources available and experts that can help leaders prepare and implement change, but ultimately, it’s up to you because you know your organization and employees best.
Organizations that develop and implement effective change management plans can help every employee realize the vital role they play in not only that project, but the success of the organization as a whole.
Anthony Wild is a Professional Services Team Lead at NISC, a leading-edge technology cooperative that provides enterprise software solutions to broadband companies, electric cooperatives and other public power entities. He is passionate about change management and has assisted numerous NISC Member organizations through successful software conversions using the tools and processes explained in this article.