Managing change effectively is the key to achieving business goals. However, many organizations struggle to effectively manage change. A recent IBM study reveals that 60% of change initiatives are either ineffective or have limited success. In addition, CEOs reported that their organizations' ability to manage change was lower than the need for it, creating a "change gap" three times greater than it was two years ago.
Successful change management involves creating a change-ready workforce and involving employees throughout the process. This way, they'll understand the need for change. The implementation of the change program must be managed carefully to avoid causing undue stress and undue inconvenience to employees. Managing change is a delicate balancing act and requires transparency, patience, and planning. Successful change management also involves communication and collaboration. Unfortunately, too many companies fail to effectively communicate their change initiatives and fail to engage employees in the process.
The first step in change management is assessing needs and developing a plan. The assessment process will help you identify what change is needed most and what needs to be changed. It's also vital to identify who will be affected by the change and how committed they are to it. This data will serve as the basis for developing a plan that satisfies individual and organizational needs.
Projects with effective change management are six times more likely to meet their objectives than those with inadequate change management. Effective change management correlates with keeping projects on schedule and on budget. As a result, implementing change management is vital for any change initiative. Change management requires an understanding of the organization's culture and of its people. If individuals and organizations aren't equipped to handle change, they won't be successful. In addition to effective planning, a successful change management process engages leaders at the right level and ensures that people understand the implications of the change.
Change can be a scary and challenging process. It can cause panic and disillusionment among people in an organization. People who do not believe in change will resist it because they see little value in a new way of doing things. They may believe that the new way is too risky or too difficult to implement. They may also worry about losing their jobs or expertise.
A good change management plan must be comprehensive, clear, and measurable. In addition, it must be able to minimize disruption and increase employee morale. Fortunately, there are many resources to help organizations effectively manage change. For example, the IT Infrastructure Library offers detailed guidance on how to handle change in IT operations and infrastructure.
Change management is a critical practice that will not go away anytime soon. While it is inevitable, organizations can improve their change management practices by using Jira Service Management, a software solution that offers a change management capability.