Managing Change

Over 65% of major change programmes fail - that's a consistent statistic that's been proven again and again through research. 

There are many reasons why Change Programmes fail:
- Lack of senior management commitment
- Middle management's resistance to change
- Ineffective implementation planning & integration
- Insufficient quick wins
- Lack of project management discipline
- Only minimal realignments in organisation structure, roles and responsibilities
- Sub-par performance management
- Inadequate IT/IM integration

...and most importantly, neglecting to effectively engage the people in the change.

Changing ATTITUDES to the change, because "A Change imposed is often a change opposed"

Tips on successful communication of change

1. Use face-to-face communications. Putting leaders in front of employees to provide information
and answer questions helps them gain credibility with employees. It can go a long way toward
alleviating stress for employees and keep them focused on the business.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Don’t stop. Don’t lull. Employee stress levels aren’t
pausing.

3. Be aware of employee anxiety. When a significant change is announced, employees will be
focused on themselves and their futures with the organization. Anxiety will shift their attention
from doing their jobs and the company, so communicate with them to help them through this
time.

4. Don’t lie. When employees ask questions, don’t lie. If you don’t know the answer, get it for them.
If the answer to a difficult question is unknown, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Employees
will appreciate the honesty.

5. Use FAQs and talking points. Share talking points with supervisors and keep FAQs current to
make sure everyone has the same source of information. Consider posting information on your
intranet site as a great way for instant information and a place for employees to ask questions.

6. Listen. It’s easy for leaders to get into a “tell” mode and forget to listen for reactions, discussions
and emotional hot points.