The Secret to Change Management: Embrace the Process

Effective change management is critical to the success of leading organizations. Do you want to know what the absolute best and most successful companies in the world do? They look ahead five years by anticipating industry trends and then they start changing before their competitors, beating the curve and getting ahead of the game. This requires both vision and courage, but it’s very possible once those values become ingrained across your organization.

Change is a Never-Ending Process

Change never ends – it is the one constant in life. The best companies and organizations do not shy away from change, but rather they embrace it with all of their hearts. Change, both internal and external, is not always easy and will often be met with resistance, but there are specific steps one may take to better understand and implement change within or around an organization:

• Learn everything you possibly can about the change that is taking place. Ask questions. Be curious. Be inquisitive. And always be constantly acquiring new information because the more you know, the less scary the change becomes. The best way to deal with and beat change is to get out ahead of it and learn as much as you can about it.
• Collaborate with coworkers and business strategists. Rather than make change a painful process, why not turn it into a fun process? Have weekly meetings in which you discuss the ongoing change – not only official company-wide meetings, but also heart-to-heart discussions with coworkers and teammates in your organization. Use the change as an opportunity to become better acquainted with the people you work with.
• Make sure management is working with a qualified change management consultant of some sort. Even experienced, seasoned managers and companies need objective advice from change consultants who are trained to facilitate change. Remember – even the best, smartest, and most talented managers are right only about 30% of the time.

Unlock Change in the Right Order

Unlocking change is like unlocking a lock combination – the right steps must be conducted in the right order so that everyone in the organization is comfortable with the change that is occurring. And it’s a lot easier to deal with change once you’ve mastered how to use your time. But it’s a learnable process and can be embraced for your organization’s benefit.

Jeff Davis has facilitated dozens of changes across non-profits and various corporations around the world, including in Budapest, Hungary. To have Jeff work with your business/team and facilitate change, please contact his Executive Assistant at meg@jeffdspeaks.com.