Understanding Change Management

Transcription

1 Understanding Change Management Change Management, why it works and what model is the best fit for organizations in a Project Management structure. A Research paper Prepared for the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMTCO) Municipal Management Diploma Program by Student #

2 2 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Scope and Methodology. 4 Section One Change Management & Project Management What is Change Management? 6 What is Project Management?. 6 Synergies between Project Management and Change Management. 6 The Change Curve 7 Why is Change Management necessary? 7 Benefits of Change Management 8 Section 2 - Change Management Models Kurt Lewin- Three Stages of Change Freeze Transition Refreeze 10 John Kotter Managing Change in Eight Steps 11 Prosci -ADKAR Change Management Model. 13 Section 3 Change Management Success Change Management Best Practices 16 Recommendation: Change Management Model for Project Management 17 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 19 Appendix a 20

3 3 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Executive Summary In today s global economy organizations recognize that one thing is constant and that is change. Private sector organizations seek aggressive ways to remain competitive in a global economy - from reductions in workforce to radical restructuring. Public sector organizations strive to be effective while meeting the growth demands in communities that are more complex, while remaining cost effective and accountable as they deliver high quality services to their communities and stakeholders. As a result the industry of Change Management has seen significant growth since the early 1990 s as organizations seek methodologies to help them adapt to or implement new processes or changes. The focus of this paper will be on understanding Change Management as it integrates with Project Management and what model may be the best for an organization that is operating in a Project Management structure. The first section of this paper will explore what change management is and if it is a necessary discipline? How do organizations really know if they will get their return on their investment in a change management program? It will also explore the synergies between change management and project management two disciplines which are often required to drive dramatic results in organizations. The second section explores three popular Change Management Models that have evolved within the industry; Lewin s 3 steps to change, John Kotters 8 steps to change and the Prosci -ADKAR model developed by John Hiatt. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses however; I will explore further how one model is best applied to organizations that are operating in a project management structure. The third section looks at the factors that are required for successful Change Management. What has been successful in organizations and what would they do differently on future implementations. Organizations are diverse and not all aspect of any one change management model may work for any singular organization. When implementing a change management program whether it is based on one model or favourite elements from many there are a number of best practices that organizations should consider.

4 4 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Scope and Methodology The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the discipline of Change Management, and what Change Management model may work best in a Project Management organizational structure. This paper will define Change Management, why it is necessary and what the benefits of a structured program are. It will also explore the similarities between Change Management and Project Management. The scope of this paper was limited to exploring three Change Management Models due to the volume and complexity of models that are in practice in the industry. It is my hope that as the Change Management discipline continues to grow and become recognized as a critical requirement for project and organizational success that we will see change management imbedded in project delivery programs, integrated within organizations at all levels.

5 5 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Section 1- Change Management & Project Management What is Change Management? Change Management is a comprehensive term used to describe change at both the individual and organizational level. The term Change Management is used to describe: 1. The task of managing change; 2. An area of professional practice; 3. A body of knowledge (consisting of models, methods, techniques, and other tools);and 4. A control mechanism (consisting of requirements, standards, processes and procedures). 1 For the purposes of this paper the following definition is used; Change Management: is an approach to transitioning organizations, teams and individuals from their current state to a new desired state for the future. 2 Change management is both an art and a science that uses theories and methodologies, tools and well-practiced structured approaches to manage organizational change efforts so that the desired results of the change (and expected return on investment) are achieved. Change Management plays an important role in any organization as managing change is not easy. Change in an organization or a project can be initiated both from within the organization and from external forces. Externally, competition may drive an organization to change a product or service to try and capture more of the market share. Internally a problem may be identified and change management is seen as the process by which a solution can be implemented with the organization. Most Change Management Models have three main characteristics: Preparing for change. This is the time to get ready the organization has looked at their current state and determined that change efforts are required to get to a future state. Managing Change. This is where detailed planning takes place determining what is required, what tools and tactics the organization will use to implement the change. Once a roadmap is defined, action is taken and implementation begins. Reinforcing change successful change has occurred, either in whole or part and data is gathered about the change on what has been successful and what areas can improve. Celebrations of success as well as positive recognition of contributors to the change efforts take place. 3 1 Mark Connelly, Change Management (http// retrieved 13/10/20. 2 John Kotter, Change Management vs. Change Leadership What s the Difference? (Forbes.ca, 2011) retrieved online from Wikipedia 13/10/23. 3 Jeffrey M, Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit Using the Prosci ADKAR Model (Colorodo: Prosci Change Management Learning Centre, 2012),1-5

6 6 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t What is Project Management? Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. A project is defined as a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service. 4 Organizations performing projects will usually divide each project into several project phases to provide better management control and as required to make appropriate links to operational groups. Collectively the project phases are known as the project life cycle. Within the life cycle of a project each phase is marked by the completion of a deliverable- a tangible verifiable work product. 5 These benchmarks are similar to the steps or phases of a change management model. Synergies between Change Management and Project Management There are similarities between the discipline of Project Management and Change Management; both are moving people and organizations from a current state to a future state. 6 In Project Management the focus is on the technical side; this is where the solution is designed, developed and delivered effectively. In Change Management the solution is on the people side; the solution is embraced, adopted and utilized effectively. Project Management and Change Management have a joint value proposition oriented toward driving business results. 7 Why is Change Management Necessary? Change is certain, and it is not likely that the degree and speed at which our lives are changing will slow down. Change management provides structure, intent and tools for encouraging individuals through their own personal change. 4 William R.Duncan, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute Publishing Division, 1996),11 5 Duncan, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge; 12 6 Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, 52 7 Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, 51

7 7 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t When a business needs to implement a change, a formal change management plan is necessary because: We change for a reason: There are many reasons for change, revenue growth, improved customer satisfaction, reduced costs, better product or service quality, reduced risk exposure, improved quality of life and so on. Projects and initiatives are undertaken not because they are fun and exciting, but because there is an opportunity to capture or solve a problem. Organizational change requires individual change: Change can only occur when individuals in the organization begin working in new ways; displaying new behaviours, using new tools, adhering to new processes and adopting new values. Individual shifts in behaviour are the cornerstone of change. When numerous individual shifts are taken together as a whole, the desired future state of the organization is achieved. Organizational outcomes are the collective result of individual change: The closer you are to achieving 100% engagement with employees, the closer you are to achieving 100% of the desired outcomes. Change Management is an enabling framework for managing the people side of change. Organizations are made up of people, and people are dynamic and harder to change because each person has their own system of beliefs and values. The Change Curve created by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (see illustration below) and her work on personal transition and grief and bereavement, is a tool that helps us understand how individuals experience change. The Change Curve identifies 4 stages in the grief cycle Denial, Anger, Exploring and Acceptance, which assist Project Managers and Change Leaders to anticipate how people may react to change and develop strategies to help them with their own personal transition. 8 When Managers and Change Leaders can anticipate individual s emotional reactions to change they can target strategies to support the individual change experience. 8 Candy Lee, The Change Curve How do we react to Change? Available from Educational Business (accessed October 24, 2013)

8 8 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Suggestions include: In the denial phase the natural reaction is for the individual to deny that there is a need for change, typical sentiments might be that won t work here or we have tried that before. Leaders can support employees by having face to face communication with them which can help them understand why the changes are necessary and further explain what it will mean for them. In the anger phase some employees realize the change is not going away and display anger and bitterness towards the new plans. Continual communication using a variety of channels can help to give the individuals time to understand the changes and can help to reduce the anxiety In stage three exploring people will often try to compromise a favourable outcome to the change i.e.: if we do this, then this will happen. Communicate the project timeline, encourage participation and make clear that people know what needs to be done. In the final stage acceptance, the change has occurred and individuals are learning to live with the change and even get involved. 9 Benefits of Change Management The greatest benefit of Change Management is that it provides conceptual scaffolding for the people, process and the organization implementing the change. It is a framework used to support and understand the change and its effectiveness on the organization and its people. There are both organizational and individual benefits to a formal change management plan; Organizational benefits include: Faster response time to customer and market demands and increased competitiveness in the market place. The time needed to implement change is reduced Helps align existing resources within the organization. Change management allows the organization to assess the overall impact of a change Change can be implemented without negatively affecting the day to day running of business and employee performance increases when staff feels supported. Organizational effectiveness and efficiency is maintained or even improved by acknowledging the concerns of staff. The possibility of unsuccessful change is reduced. Managed cost of change: change management helps contain cost associated with the change. Increased return on investment (ROI). 9 Candy Lee, The Change Curve How do we react to Change? Available from Educational Business (accessed October 24, 2013)

9 9 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Benefits for individuals / staff: Effective change management supports a smooth transition from the old to the new while maintaining morale, productivity, and even company image Provides management and staff support for concerns regarding changes and correct perception of the change for staff and public Helps to plan efficient communication strategies Minimizes resistance to change Improves morale, productivity and quality of work Improves cooperation, collaboration and communication A carefully planned approach to change reduces stress and anxiety and encourages people to stay loyal to the organization Increased employee acceptance of the change It is clear that both organizations and the people with in them have a higher likelihood of success and job satisfaction with effective change management. Participants in the 2011 Prosci -ADKAR benchmarking study support the positive benefits and the 2011 research showed that there is a greater awareness of the need for and value of change management, greater value is being placed on change management and its contributions to the success of projects and initiatives. There is an increased use of established methodologies and participants cited an increased use in the tools and language of change management including an increase in the development of in-house competencies and programs. Finally change management activities are being introduced earlier and more often into project management process Jeffrey M, Hiatt, Best Practices in Change Management. (Colorado: Prosci Learning Centre Publications, 2012),19

10 10 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Section 2 - Change Management Models Change Management is not a new phenomenon or a buzz word. Documented theory and models for change have been in existence since as early as 1945 and frameworks consisting of 3-step, 5-step, 10- step and 12-step models have been developed along with Management Consulting firms proprietary models and other industry or company based Change Management processes. For the purposes of this research paper I will look at three models of change management; Kurt Lewin 3 stage change model John Kotter, 8 Guiding Principles for Change Prosci ADKAR Model developed by Jeff Hiatt Unfreeze, Transition, Refreeze Kurt Levin One of the original models for understanding organizational change was developed by Kurt Levin in the 1950s. His model is based on three primary stages identified as Unfreeze Transition - Refreeze. Kurt Lewin, was a physicist as well as social scientist, and he explained organizational change using the analogy changing the shape of a block of ice. He said if you have a large cube of ice, but realize that what you want is a cone of ice, what do you do? First you must melt the ice to make it amenable to change (unfreeze). Then you must mold the iced water into the shape you want (change). Finally, you must solidify the new shape (refreeze). 11 Stage one - Unfreeze in this stage, which Lewin saw as the most important stage, the focus is on preparing for changes and ideally creating a situation in which we want to change. Unfreezing is about recognizing that there is an issue or a need to change and then weighing the pros and cons of a situation to see if you are ready and willing to change. Lewin referred to this process as force field analysis which essentially means; there are lots of different factors (forces) for and against making a change that we need to be aware of (analysis). If the factors for change outweigh the factors against change and individual will make the change. If not, then there's low motivation to change - and if individuals feel pushed to change we're likely to get grumpy and dig in their heels 12 In stage two the Transition begins. Individuals are unfrozen and moving toward a new state. This is the most difficult stage as people are learning about the change and what it means to them. In this stage individuals may require a lot of time and support to adjust to the new state. They will need to learn new processes or skills. Organizations can assist with the change by making sure each individual is supported with tools and skills they need to make the transition. In the final phase Refreeze the change has been established and accepted. A sense of stability is created with outputs such as new organization charts, job descriptions, process maps etc. This phase gives employees the chance to stop living in transition and to celebrate the successes achieved. 11 Mind Tools, Lewins Change Management Model; // (accessed September 24 th 2013) 12 Change Coach.com, Kurt Lewin Change Management Model; (accessed September 24, 2013)

11 11 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Lewin is most often criticized or seen as an outdated model for this final phase refreeze. In this globalized economy it is argued that change is constant and happens so quickly that there isn t time for people or organizations to Refreeze after a change management program has been implemented. Critics of Lewin argue that to be competitive organizations need to maintain a state of change, preparing, managing change and reinforcing the change cycle. 13 Lewins' model when applied to a project management setting lacks the structure, processes and tools to effectively support an organization in project delivery. Although simple in it structure, it leaves an organization left to define what is required in each phase to keep in cycle with the project delivery. John Kotter Leading Change 8 Guiding Principles for Change John Kotter introduced 8 steps for change in his first book Leading Change in Since then he continued to be one of the more popular authors on the subject. His model identified 8 key steps, centered on key principles of how people approach change, respond to and embrace change. Step One: Create a Sense of Urgency. For change to happen people have to be aware of the issue or need for change. In this stage an organization should be mobilizing for change, examining the marketplace and competitive realities or the challenges apart within the organization. Senior leaders should be having frank and open discussions within their teams examining threats and developing scenarios of what the realities could be in the future if they do not adopt proposed changes. He notes that for change to be successful, It is important to convince at least 75% of your managers that the status quo is more dangerous than the unknown. 14, and that organizations need to spend enough time in step one to ensure this before moving onto the other steps. Step Two: Form a Powerful Coalition. Building momentum for change takes leadership and it cannot be done alone. Kotter recommends assembling a group with shared commitment and enough power to lead the change effort. Change leaders can come from all levels and area of the organization. In this step once your change coalition is formed leaders need to work as a team, continuing to build urgency and momentum around the need for change. Kotter suggests that some things leaders can do to strengthen themselves as a team are; identify other leaders in the organization, ask for their commitment, work on team building within the change coalition team and check for any weaknesses in the team and ensure you have a good mix from the organization and from various levels. 15 Step Three: Create a Vision for Change. A clear vision can help everyone in your organization understand what you are asking them to do. A vision does not need to be grand or complex. Ideally it is in the form of a short vision speech that conveys the heart of the change in less than 5 minutes. If within 5 minutes you cannot get a reaction that signifies understanding and interest then your vision speech is not clear or completed yet. These key messages should be provided to all members of the change coalition. The team needs to be fluent in the same language and use every opportunity to reinforce the vision statements Mind Tools, Lewins Change Management Model; // (accessed September 24 th 2013) 14 John, P Kotter, Leading Change Why Transformation Efforts Fail (USA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011) 4 15 Kotter, Leading Change,- Why Transformation Efforts Fail 7,8 16 Kotter, Leading Change Why Transformation Efforts Fail, 4,9

12 12 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Characteristics of an effective vision: Imaginable conveys a picture of what the world will look like Desirable appeals to the long term interest of employees, customers, stockholders and others who have a stake in the enterprise Feasible comprises realistic attainable goals Focused is clear enough to provide guidance in decision making Flexible is general enough to allow individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions Communicable is easy to communicate and can be easily explained within 5 minutes. 17 Step Four: Communicate the Vision. Use every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies for achieving it. Teach new behaviours by example of the change coalition. These leaders should be walking the talk. Talk about the vision at every opportunity and look for ways to keep it fresh in everyone s mind so they will remember and respond to it. Step Five: Empower others to act on the vision. This means removing or altering systems or structures that undermine the vision. Encourage risk taking and non-traditional ideas, activities and actions. 18 This includes providing the training that employees need this can be technical or soft skills training. At this stage, Kotter also notes that it is important to recognize individuals who are resisting the change effort and confront them. If others see that they are not confronted then they become discouraged and will slow down the change momentum. 19 Step Six: Create Short Term Wins. Define and engineer visible performance improvements. What this means is that organizations need to plan for goals that are easily achievable in the short term and then celebrate their success. Recognize and reward employees contributing to those improvements. These quick wins help the transformation in a number of ways; they provide evidence to employees that the sacrifice is worth it. They also help fine tune the vision and strategies; as the organization looks at the quick wins results they identify opportunities to correct what did not work and reinforce in the plan tools or strategies that were the most effective. This helps reinforce for the change coalition that they are moving in the right direction. And finally, celebrating wins also help silence the critics. Following the positive momentum, employees that were neutral to the change efforts are often swayed to being supporters. 20 Step Seven: Build on the Change. Use increased credibility from early wins to change systems structures and policies undermining the vision. Hire, promote and develop employees who can implement the vision and reinvigorate the change process with new projects and change events. 21 In this step Kotter argues that many change projects fail because victory is declared too early. Real change runs deeper. Quick wins are only the beginning of what needs to be done to achieve the long terms change. After every success analyse what went right and what needs improving, continue to set goals to build on the momentum and keep ideas fresh by bringing new change agents and leaders to the change coalition. 17 John Kotter, Leading Change. (Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press), Kotter, Leading Change, why Transformation Efforts Fail,5,9 19 Kotter, Leading Change, why Transformation Efforts Fail, 5,13 20 Kotter, Leading Change, why Transformation Efforts Fail, 5, Kotter, Leading Change, why Transformation Efforts Fail, 5

13 13 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Step Eight: Anchor the Change in Corporate Culture. To make any change stick it needs to become a part of the core organizational culture, the way things are done around here. A corporation s culture determines what gets done, so the values behind the vision must be evident in the day to day operations. Leaders need to continually communicate the connection between new behaviours and corporate successes. Kotters' method has many benefits; there are clear steps to guide you through the process, he focuses on the importance of employee buy in and his model will fit well within a traditional hierarchical organization. The disadvantages of Kotters model are that it is a very linear, top down approach and once it is started it is difficult to change direction. The eight steps are lengthy and may be frustrating from an employee perspective if there isn t enough time to deal with individual needs and allow time for their stages of grief as identified earlier in the cycle of change. Prosci -ADKAR Model Jeff Hiatt The ADKAR Model was developed by Jeff Hiatt, CEO of Prosci Change Management, which has become a very popular and practical model for organizations to follow. The model was first published 1998 after research with more than 300 companies undergoing major change projects. In 2006, Prosci released the first complete text on the ADKAR model in Jeff Hiatt's book ADKAR : a model for change in business, government and our community. This model is intended to be a coaching tool to help employees through the change process and focuses on the need for individual change, emphasizing that successful change is only achieved when each person is ready and able to transition. In the earlier models examined, Kotter and Lewin both identify the need for individuals to change for the change effort to be successful however in the Prosci ADKAR Model the individual experience is linked with the organizational experience of project management. The Prosci ADKAR model suggests looking at change as if it were a three legged stool. The first leg is leadership/sponsorship. This represents the formation of a strategy and direction for an organization and the leadership required to set a change in motion. The second leg is project management this represents the fundamentals of managing a project including the design of work tasks and the management of resources to bring the project in on time and on budget. The third leg is change management the people side of change. This represents the actions taken by the organization to help employees transition from the current state to the future state. 22 The Prosci ADKAR model is built on the three phases; which are the process and steps that project team must take to manage change. Within these phases are 5 building blocks for successful change Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. 22 Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, I-7

14 14 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Three phases of change - Prosci ADKAR Model The first phase in the Prosci ADKAR methodology which is aimed at getting ready. It answers the question: how much change management is needed for this specific project? The first phase provides the situational awareness that is critical for effective change management. 23 The second phase of Prosci - ADKAR model is focused on creating the plans that are integrated into the project activities what people typically think of when they talk about change management. The model recommends five plans that should be created to help individuals move through change: Communications Plan Training Program Roadmap to Sponsorship Coaching Plan Resistance management Plan 24 The third phase of the Prosci ADKAR Model helps project teams create specific action plans for ensuring that the change is sustained. In this phase, project teams develop measures and mechanisms to see if the change has taken hold, to the see if employees are actually doing their jobs the new way and to celebrate success Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, Haitt, Prosci Change Management Toolkit, 47

15 15 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Prosci -ADKAR Model 5 Critical Steps for Change Research shows that most commonly cited reason for project failures is people. In a study with 248 companies, effective change management with employees was listed as one of the top-three overall success factors for the project. Helping managers be effective sponsors of change was considered the most critical success factor overall. Effective management of the people dimension of change requires managing the 5 key goals of the Prosci -ADKAR Model which are explored below. 26 The first step is Awareness of the need for change. Understanding why change is necessary is the first key aspect of successful change. Through this step planned communication is essential and when completed the individual (employee) will fully understand why change is necessary. The second step is the Desire to participate in and support the change. In this step the individual is able to reach a point where they make a personal decision to support the change and participate in the change. Naturally a desire to support and be part of the change can only happen after full awareness of the need for change is established. Building desire is partly achieved by addressing incentives for the individual and creating a desire to be a part of the change. The third step is Knowledge on how to change. The third building block of the model is providing knowledge about the change. In this step it is important that two types of knowledge requirements are addressed: knowledge on how to change (what to do during the transition) and knowledge on how to perform once the change is implemented. Organizations should not limit themselves to traditional training methods and look at one on one counselling, peer to peer mentoring and more formal training programs. The fourth step is the Ability to implement required skills and behaviours. In the ADKAR model ability is the difference between theory and practice. Once knowledge on how to change is in place (theory) the practice, or actual performance of the individual, needs to be supported. This step can take some time and can be achieved through practice, coaching and feedback. The fifth step is Reinforcement to sustain the change. This final stage of the model is an essential component in which efforts to sustain the change are emphasised. Ensuring that changes stay in place and those individuals do not revert to old ways, this can be achieved through positive feedback, ensuring that the organization has integrated rewards, recognition, measuring performance and taking corrective actions. 27 As noted earlier, this step is the most challenging in any model it is the most difficult as organizations are typically on to the next change, or they have seen the early wins from change efforts and relax their efforts and reinforcement on the changes. 28 The Prosci -ADKAR model is a goal oriented model that allows teams to focus their activities on specific business results. It applies a practical integration of project management concepts within the change model. 26 Jeff Hiatt, ADKAR a model for Change Management; http// (accessed October 2, 2013) 27 Jeffrey M. Hiatt, ADKAR A Model for Change in Business, Government and our communit,y,37 28 Mark Connelly, Change Management Coaching.com ADKAR : Simple, Powerful Action Oriented Model for Change can be found at

16 16 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Successful change is realized when two goals are met as shown in Figure 1. First the business must realize the full implementation of the change so that the business objectives are met (vertical axis) and the organization must integrate through each element of the Prosci ADKAR model so that individuals are able to implement the change and reinforcements are in place to sustain the change. In this way the failure to achieve either goal can result in partially successful or failed changes. 29 Figure 1 30 Section 3 Change Management Best Practices Prosci Learning Centre conducted a Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking study. The study combines findings with previous six studies to form one of the largest bodies of knowledge on change management and managing the people side of change. Participation in the study has grown from 102 participants (1998) to 650 participants (2011) and extends to 62 countries. 31 The objective of the study is to uncover lessons learned from practitioners and consultants so current change management teams can benefit from these experiences. In 2011, the study identified six factors as the greatest contributors to overall success of change management; 1. Active and visible executive sponsorship. 2. Frequent and open communications about change. 3. Structured change management approach employee engagement and participation 4. Dedicated change management resources and funding 5. Employee engagement and participation 6. Engagement with and support from middle management Hiatt, A Model for Change in Business Government and our Community, Hiatt, A Model for Change in Business Government and our Community, Hiatt, Best Practices in Change Management, 7 32 Hiatt, Best Practices in Change Management, 14

17 17 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t It is important to note that over the last 7 years of the benchmarking study Active and visible sponsorship has ranked number one. Past studies have consistently highlighted the importance of open communication and the importance of a structured change management approach, see Figure 2. Figure 2 33 Recommendation: Change Management Model for Project Management There are many models that have been developed to try and help people and organizations manage change. Although the scope of research was limited in this paper due to the number and complexity of models available it is clear that the Prosci ADKAR Model provides the best fit for an organization in a project management structure. The Prosci -ADKAR model utilizes the best practices of over seven hundred companies through their change management benchmarking studies. The model provides a formal certification program with support in person, online and through management and supervisor toolkits to help support all levels through the change process. Through this knowledge transfer process organizations can build their internal change management competencies which will enable the change management cycle to continue. The link between individual change management and organizational change management is what is key to the success of the Prosci ADKAR model. There are many other models available which address change management for individuals and other models that address change within an organization, the Prosci -ADKAR model integrates these two elements into one program that strategically targets organizations in project management delivery aligning the change process with the achievement of business results. An additional benefit of the Prosci -ADKAR Model is the Prosci Learning Institute which provides Change Management certification, an enhanced library of tools and templates to guide organizations through the 3 change management phases with customized templates and activity guides to help you create your master change management plan as well as 33 Hiatt, Best Practices in Change Management, 15

18 18 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t communications plans, sponsorship roadmap, coaching plans, resistance management plans, and training plans. Conclusion Organizations and people are unique in nature and as a result not one change management model will be the solution for every organization. When implementing a change management program in your organization whether it is based on a 3 step model5 step model or 10 step model it is important for organizations to begin the process early and take time to consider what their organization needs to successfully implement the change. Regardless of the model selected keep in mind these key principles that will help make your program successful; begin early and take time to consider your strategy. Start the dialogue early at all levels of the organization to define what you are trying to achieve and map out how you will get there. Build a plan that meets the business (project) needs as well as the human (employee needs) using a formal change management process. Research shows that organizations adopting a formal process are more successful in the delivery of their change management plans. As noted in my recommendations I would highly recommend the Prosci-ADKAR Model as it incorporates these two elements and provides a well-structured and supported program. Start at the top, and ensure you have strong sponsor support. Involve every layer in the organization and create individual ownership in your change management program. Then communicate, communicate, and communicate! Use a variety of mediums and methods. Reinforce the change through data gathering and analysis, identifying gaps and opportunities to implement in the next cycle of change. Ultimately there is no magic formula or program that fits all organizations however it is positive to see that as a discipline change management is becoming more recognized for its value and benefits in the delivery of ongoing operations and project delivery.

19 19 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Bibliography: 1. Ayee, George, Managing Change in the Workplace CPM Team Lunch and Learn Presentation Husky Energy. Calgary, Alberta, Blanchard, Ken. Who Killed Change? New York City: William Morrow Publishing, Candy, Lee, The Change Curve How do we react to Change?: Available from Educational Businesshttp:// (accessed October 25, 2013) 4. Connelly, Mark, ADKAR : Simple, Powerful Action Oriented Model for Change. Available from (accessed September 20, 2013). 5. Connelly, Mark, Benefits of Change Management. Available from (accessed October 29, 2013). 6. Duncan, R William, The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute- Publishing Division, Hiatt, Jeffrey M, ADKAR A Model for Change in Business, Government and our Community, Colorado: Prosci Learning Centre Publications, Hiatt, Jeffrey M, Best Practices in Change Management. Colorodo: Prosci Learning Centre Publications, Hiatt, Jeffrey M, Prosci Change Management Toolkit Using the Prosci - ADKAR Model. Colorodo: Prosci Change Management Learning Centre, Holman, Peggy, Devane, Tom, Cady, Steven. The Change Handbook. San Fransisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Kotter, John. Leading Change. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, Kotter, John, Leading Change - Why Transformations Fail. - Harvard Business Review 10 Best Reads on Change Management. Boston Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing, Mankelow, James, Lewins Change Management Model: Available from Mind Tools September )

20 20 P a g e U n d e r s t a n d i n g C h a n g e M a n a g e m e n t Appendix A Sample Prosci -ADKAR Assessment Tool