How to manage change projects the right way

With technology continually evolving and the marketplace constantly changing, it goes without saying that improvement projects are a necessity in gaining or maintaining competitive advantage. Managing change has become a way of life at corporate level and educating people is a vital factor in its success. It’s surprising, then, how many executives still get it wrong.

In the headlong rush for change many executives underestimate the importance of getting the basics right. How you interact with and educate your staff can have a huge impact on the implementation of a culture of continuous change.

The first thing a manager has to do is define the scope of a project and the time it will take. This has to be realistic – not too wide or too fast.

Once the scope’s set, it is fundamental the message is communicated throughout the organisation. The critical factor most often ignored is the need to take the message to the entire audience - people must be engaged with the project, because it is upon their actions that success depends. Missing out a group like the shop floor, for example, and then expecting them to pick it up on the run is a recipe for disaster. A major project doesn’t mean chucking the whole organisation up in the air and seeing what comes down again; you have to give people time for the implications to sink in, so they can adapt to the new technology or processes.
In successful organisations, the entire workforce has a level of understanding of how the whole business runs, its strategy and where it’s trying to go.

This vision must come from and belong to the senior executive. You have to do some very advanced thinking about where you want your business to be heading, the processes you need, and the performance levels that will be necessary.

You are asking your staff to aim for something that may not happen for 18 months. Throughout that period you have to help them believe that eventually the picture painted really will come true and it will be worth it for everyone. The project is about getting them in that frame of mind; but if someone doesn’t provide that vision, they simply won’t reach the end.

The route map for success is deceptively simple:

• Set a realistic scope and timescale.
• Ensure you have buy-in at every level of the organisation.
• Find the right project manager.
• Appoint a team that is not only capable of driving change through their own departments but can also work together.
• Allocate the tasks.
• Equip the team with the facilities and technology they need to handle the project effectively.
• Communicate and educate thoroughly.
• Monitor results and give on-going support

Sustainable change requires top down commitment and bottom up ownership of the new ways of working, and it is the manager’s role to ensure this occurs.

Mike Reed, Oliver Wight Partner