Five tips: Successful change management

Tip 1: Choose the right starting point for change projects

Change projects often fail because those responsible have only superficially analyzed the initial situation. Sustainable goals and visions cannot be developed on such a weak foundation. Consequently, the change project will not improve the company's situation, but will probably worsen it.

You can create a good starting point if you involve all hierarchical levels and company divisions in the analysis and goal setting from the outset. This clarifies the diagnosis from the workbench to management - and enriches the design of the objectives. In addition, you sensitize the entire organization to the need for change at a very early stage. By involving staff, you also ensure greater acceptance of the project. With this backing, the organization will not be so easily dissuaded from the path that has been jointly recognized as the right one by minor setbacks in the implementation of the change project.
 

Tip 2: Successful change management involves more than just processes and structures

In order for change projects to remain successful in the long term, it is not enough to simply tweak processes and structures. Rather, it is important that the entire organization lives the changes. This leads to questions that you need to answer early on:

• What leadership and self-leadership behavior needs to be developed?
• What skills and attitudes need to be instilled in the workforce so that the introduction of agile methods, for example, has a viable basis?
• What corporate culture is implicit in the change objectives?

The answers to these questions are crucial elements for a successful change management approach. Further information can be found in the article Kulturwandel erfolgreich gestalten.
 

Tip 3: Resolve or avoid conflicts in change management through coaching

Changes are inevitably accompanied by resistance and fears. This is because there are usually also losers or people who experience change as a loss. For example, not everyone finds it equally easy to adapt to new situations or deal with new processes and tools. Conflicts sometimes arise from new constellations. For example, when a trusted colleague becomes the boss. Or when managers have to relinquish some of their responsibility and another manager is placed at their side. Good change management is characterized by the fact that it does not dismiss such conflicts as personal destinies. These conflicts can often be resolved - or even proactively avoided - through business coaching for teams and employees. A positive feedback and error culture also makes an indispensable contribution to the success of change projects, without which agile organizational development, for example, is doomed to failure.
 

Tip 4: Communication is at the heart of change management

Employees are often literally bombarded with project news, especially at the start of change processes. A stream of messages that often stops after a few weeks. This has serious consequences: everyone who is not directly involved will assume that the project has been quietly buried - as has often been the case in the past. You should avoid this impression at all costs. Communication is at the heart of change projects and is anything but a trivial matter. One of the essential success factors is for top management and project managers to provide regular and well thought-out information.

Prompt communication of partial successes motivates people to take the next steps. And even bad news is ultimately beneficial to the desired change. This is because openness and transparency promote trust in the joint work on the change.
 

Tip 5: Change needs leadership - from the very top!

One thing is certain: without the absolute commitment of top management and consistent implementation at all levels of management, your change project will fail. Lip service is counterproductive, only concrete action counts. No matter how many slogans, mandatory programmes and project awards you throw at the organization: No one will be interested if it remains just fine words.

Change must necessarily be experienced in the behavior of managers. If change does not affect managers and they are not committed to it, you are wasting time and money. That's why the first duty is to examine the will to change in detail and get to the heart of top management. You can only get started once you have found an authentic will to do so.

Qualified experts for change management
Deutsche Interim AG is happy to provide you with interim managers with outstanding change expertise and a proven track record of success - precisely tailored to your company's situation. Just get in touch with us.