A close harmony between the Project Sponsor and External Consultant is critical. Here are the key issues that need to addressed, and how they impact effective change?
The Change Team & The Change Arena
The Change Arena is made up of several actors. It is composed the External Change or OD Consultant, any internal change agents, Project Sponsors or Projest Hosts (who own the change agenda), the targets those who are the focus of the change, and core constituents and key stakeholders in the process.
The External Consultant has to manage the relationship between all these people if the change is going to be effective. Often issues arise..........
Sponsors are not committed to the problem they have been given to resolve by the top team - they and their colleagues have mixed motives and are only partially committed to the change.
Targets are resistant to the change and adopt avoidance behaviour and passive resistance
Internal change agents don't have the power or the training and experience to see the change implemented 100%
There is a poor record of change effectiveness and project implementation.
The culture is not ready for change - and stakeholders may be cynical.
it is against this backdrop that the External OD Change Agent adds value. Below is a list of just a few issues that need resolved. For more detail be sure to contact us.
Some key issues that you will need to addressed:
Define the precise actions to resolve the organisational problems?
Understand why change has not been so successful in the past
Note that change is abehavioural and a political process with power plays between the key actors in the process
Many people have agendas other that are in the best interests of the business
These agenda and political motives need managing rationally
Staff do not seem to take change seriously
Identify issues in the culture that hinders change
What specific actions have to taken to resolve the problems?
How will conflict resolution be utilised to aid the change
How to take action to leverage top management commitment to implement changes
What strategies can be employed to win the support of all senior managers
How is resistance manifested and what actions will you take to raise acceptance for the need to change?
Have change objectives been defined and prioritised so that a project plan of defined objectives can be achieved over a set period of time
Define what the company wants to achieve in terms of a change in culture
What exactly do management want to happen in terms of a 'focus on Customer and Culture Change, Matrix Management, Organisational Design?'
Study how other changes in the business have been implemented and accepted
How successful have other changes been and what chatergorised their success?
How you would win the support of others to your ideas and work together with them in the Change Team
Anticipate the results you want to achieve and how these can be measured
This is not an exhastive list but gives a clear idea that change is complex and has to be sensitively managed.
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