PLANS FOR CHANGE
There are lots of strategies / models to describe how to implement a change in an organization, but few who have clearly undertaken to describe the entire journey of change, from the preparatory work, through involvement and implementation to updating the structures so the change becomes the "new normal".
After working with many different types of change projects (values work, organizational merging, business development, IT system rollouts, continuous improvements, etc.) I make an attempt to 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.
Overall parts of a generic change plan
- Build the foundation of the change project - The why, what and what of change. Important parts regardless of type of change.
- Broad 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
- Communicate and implement - 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.
- Learning and anchoring the new - Creating or updating current documents, processes, etc. so that the new becomes part of "how we do things here"
Below, the overall parts are described in a little more detail ...
To create conditions for the change project.
A preparatory step that contains the important sub-steps to, among other things, develop and make visible the urgent motives for change, secure the management's commitment and a considerable group of change leaders and the direction for where we strive.
Broad involvement in planning the change work.
Includes processes for involvement to ensure good analyzes, decision materials and improvement / implementation proposals to succeed with the change project and create a commitment to implementation.
To work with broad communication and change.
Includes models / processes for planning, communication, competence development and the work of changing attitudes, structures and working methods as well as learning.
To anchor the new and continue working with constant development.
To ensure that the organization works according to the best known working methods and conducts continuous work with continuous improvements of the business.
Some change processes and their correlation to the generic change plan
The two overall change processes that I have had as a framework for major change projects are the organizational consulting company INDEA's "8 Steps of Involvement and Change" and John P. Kotter's "8 Steps of Change", where INDEA's process makes much clearer the broad involvement of all or most managers and employees already in the project planning stage ...
In addition to these, I am also certified in Prosci's comprehensive Change Management Methodology, which is based on the ADKAR model. It is a change process that can be adapted well to many different types of change projects, which is why I am happy to address this.
INDEA's 8 steps of involvement and change
INDEA's change plan - different steps
John P. Kotter's "Eight Steps for Change"
John P. Kotter's change plan - different steps
Prosci's change management process with ADKAR as a base
Prosci / ADKAR - different phases