LEAD

 

Are you interested in how to set up a plan for your change work? Or want to read about different strategies / models for driving change work to get inspiration to make the right choice in your change work?

 
There are an infinite number of ways to drive change in an organization, from both the project management and development world and the relatively young discipline called Change Management. This is largely due to the fact that different processes are needed for different types of change, but just as often, the change leader's background and view of what change is equally important for how he / she describes his / her change process.

When I now try to describe and partially compare different approaches to lead change work, I have divided it into three sections:
In the section "Change plans" I describe some more comprehensive approaches to drive through a sustainable change - from preparation, through involvement / implementation to learning and updated structures.
Under the section "Involvement-Implementation" I have collected a number of strategies / models for working with the involvement and implementation step in the change plan.
Under the section "Choosing" (change management strategy), I have included my personal guidance for choosing change management strategy for different types of change projects.
 

General change plan - generic parts of a sustainable change project

Having worked with many different types of change projects (values work, organizational merging, business development, IT system rollouts, continuous improvement, etc.) I make an attempt to first describe four important overall phases in a change work, which I think you need to consider regardless of type of change. Hopefully, they can help you think about overall phases of a change plan.
 
  1. Building the change project foundation - The why, what and what of change. Important parts regardless of type of change.
  2. Wide involvement - An involvement of managers and employees to produce a good basis for decision-making for the change itself and to anchor and create ownership for how the change should be implemented
  3. Communication and implementation - The larger and more visible part of the change project. The process of creating understanding and motivation for change and doing what is needed to get there. Different implementation depending on the type of change.
  4. Learning and anchoring - Creating or updating current documents, processes, etc. so that the new becomes part of "how we do things here"
 

Change plans - Some more comprehensive change processes

Here I discribe two overall change processes that I have used as a frameworks for major change projects and an overview of Prosci's Change Management Methodology, which is based on the ADKAR model.
 
INDEA's 8 steps of involvement and change
 
John P. Kotters' "Eight Steps for Change"
 
The Prosci's change management process, with ADKAR as a base
Some extensive change processes described in this section.

In the section "Choosing" (a change management strategy) you will find a guide when it comes to choosing a change management strategy for your particular change project.
 
 
 

Implementation strategies - Different ways of working with the involvement and implementation stages

There are lots of recognized good strategies / models to lead change and development. However, this only raises new questions ...
  • Why are there so many different strategies / models to lead change?
  • Do all strategies / models work for all types of change projects or just some?
  • How should I know which strategy / model to use when and which to avoid?
Here I have tried to gather some useful change models, but at the same time tried to put them in a larger context. In order to succeed with their change project, many of the models need to be supplemented with a preparatory work and an after-work project in order to be truly successful.

Examples of strategies / models for involvement and implementation:
  • Involving large group conferences (eg Future Search and Real Time Strategic Change)
  • 6 change strategies from the MIT article "How to have influence"
  • Work with the Four Rooms of Change
  • Ellström's model for developing working methods
  • Relational coordination
In the section "Choosing" (a change management strategy) you will find a guide when it comes to choosing a change management strategy for your particular change project.
 
 

Choice of change management strategy

Based on the myriad of recognized good strategies / models to lead change and development - How do I know which strategy / model to use when?

In this section, I have collected my favorite models and tried to categorize different types of change work and show my preferences or recommendations when it comes to choosing a change management model, based on the different types of change.

The hope is that you will receive some guidance when it comes to choosing a strategy for your particular change project, but if you want additional support or need to turn around and turn on a specific change project, you are welcome to contact us. Contact information can be found here.