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Free content for food for thought. Read our latest blog articles, we have a lot to say.
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Articles
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November06
2018
Change Management: Process and Relationships
In an age of fast-paced changes, reactivity and flexibility are survival skills. As competition intensifies on international markets, organizations are urged to improve their working processes to keep clients satisfied and stay in the game. Parallel to that, automation and artificial intelligence are quickly transforming the labor market, which makes soft skills (empathy, self-confidence, EQ, creativity, communication, leadership, …) even more essential[1]. It is therefore not surprising to hear a lot of talk about process management and relationships. But because it creates a disconnect between these two otherwise interrelated issues, the discussion is inherently flawed. We argue that most problems arising within an organization usually stem from a mix of process and relationship deficiencies. Process or relationships? Thriving in a hypercompetitive environment depends on both reducing costs and providing excellent service that can make you shine with your customers. Any organization can be understood as a ...
Written by
Philippe Bourgeois -
October29
2018
"How to": Demonstrating CM effectiveness.
Like any CM practitioner (or advocate), you will increasingly be faced with the challenge of providing hard numbers (or facts) to prove CM effectiveness. Fear not, as advances in the field have made the task much easier to handle. Remember that your scoreboard should include performance variables at the organizational, individual and CM levels. Here is everything you need to implement a robust measurement strategy[1]. Five main criteria categories. Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of performance measurement at each level, keep in mind that there are roughly five types of criteria commonly used to assess change effectiveness[2]. Adoption metrics focus on how employees adhere to the change, that is to say, the percentage of user adoption and proficiency in new processes. Qualitative/feedback metrics relate to the perceived effectiveness of change among employees and end users alike, as collected through multiple channels or formats: surveys, informal feedback, clients’ satisfaction reports. Employee ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
October24
2018
Resistance to change is the expression of a grief process – Here is how you handle it
To succeed with changes, you must be ready to deal with issues such as loss and emotional grief. Complex, emotionally challenging changes have little chance of success, unless the severity of loss is acknowledged and grief is redeemed. As you probably have realised, it is inevitable that changes in your organisation will happen. And often there will be resistance to the changes. The default reaction is to blame employees for being resistant. While this might be the easiest thing to do, it does not deal with the root cause and the real issues. Instead, it is vital that you understand the human dynamics of changes to better support your employees through the process of grief. That is what some organisational changes are to employees: a grief process. Why organisational changes are a loss to employees Have you ever been surprised by employees’ reactions to even small organisational ...
Written by
Annika Lagoni -
October09
2018
Change Management: Latest Trends in Change Management (II)
The first part of this series looked into what has happened on the CM front over the last two years. But no trends report is ever fully complete without a prospective view. This new instalment further explores the findings of the latest PROSCI survey on state-of-the-art practices[1]. From what respondents expect to happen in the next five years to whether and how to join the bandwagon, we trace the moving contours of the discipline in simple and practical terms[2]. So, plan for the future accordingly! *PROSCI’s survey focused on what developments practitioners anticipate or expect to intensify in the next five years. Each trend is summarised with cross references to articles previously published by NEXUM for further reading guidance. 1. Continued alignment with other “improvement” methodologies. These last years have witnessed a more wide-ranging application of CM, with a particular emphasis on AGILE projects. Alignment with other methodologies such ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
September27
2018
Stop failing in mergers and acquisitions!
Whether it is 70% or 90% of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) that fail is a much debated topic. It hardly matters though, as both numbers are unacceptably high. Failure is the unrealised potential of the benefits initially calculated. And it can be extremely expensive. But why are we failing? Research shows that current success has very little to do with previous success, as the success and failure rates are similar for both experienced and novice acquirers. In the due diligence phase of an M&A process, the focus is strictly on financial, strategic (products, customers) and legal considerations. A post-mortem analysis of merger failure and underperformance usually only examines the factors that initially determined the decision to engage. The argument here is, that the cause of death (figuratively speaking) is often found where nobody is looking – in the human factors. Here's why Mergers are decided and designed ...
Written by
Anna Balk-Møller -
September17
2018
Latest Trends in Change Management
Curious to know more about the latest trends in Change Management? Drawing upon the experience of more than 1000 CM practitioners, PROSCI’s latest[1] report offers the most accurate picture of what has happened in the field over the last two years … and what its avant-garde looks like. We have extracted lessons learnt and emerging trends[2]. Taking a retrospective look before diving into how professionals foresee the future, this series of two articles is packed with actionable insights. Nothing can come in handier to build and maintain a competitive edge. So, get prepared for a successful ride! *PROSCI’s survey focused on most noticeable trends reported by respondents as they reflect on the past two years. Each trend is summarised with cross references to articles previously published by NEXUM for further reading guidance. 1. Better understanding of the value of CM and growing credibility. It is an undeniable fact that ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
September03
2018
The 7 keys to making your change a success
Success is no accident. Even less so when it comes to dealing with change in uncertain times. With a healthy dose of Change Management, you can make the most of your transformational efforts and stay ahead of the game. And best of all, it can boost your chances of meeting your objectives on time and on budget by up to 6 times. No matter how big and daunting the task, we have your back covered. The 2018 benchmark report from our partner PROSCI incorporates the latest advances in CM research[1]. Here are, in a nutshell, the 7 keys – or top contributors - to making your change effective and long-lasting. Top contributor #1: active and visible sponsorship. Senior leaders must take the driver’s seat and lead by example. The biggest issue with this number one rule is that designated sponsors too often fail to understand what specific actions their role entails. The ABC ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
August28
2018
7 important questions to consider before setting up a change management office
A Change Management Office (CMO) is a function with the purpose of providing the organisation with a structured approach and a set of tools to manage the people side of changes. Having a CMO can lead to stunning benefits for the organisation. These include that projects meet (and often exceed) their objectives, realising return on investments and maturing the discipline of Change Management in organisation. The benefits are the argument for establishing a CMO. Setting up a CMO is, however, not a straightforward matter. On the contrary there are a variety of approaches that can lead to success – or failure for that matter. So how do you know what elements you should take into account? While there are no one-size-fits-all templates or roadmaps for how to create a successful CMO there are seven questions you should always ask yourself when establishing a Change Management Office: 1. What are the ...
Written by
Annika Lagoni -
August17
2018
3 stunning benefits a change management office creates for your organisation
Achieving success with large-scale strategic projects requires more than an excellent strategy and well-prepared plans. You need to understand the people side too: what the company’s culture, people, and behaviours must look like to create the desired results. This is Change Management. And it works! You are six times more likely to succeed in your project implementation when you conduct excellent Change Management, as evidenced by Prosci’s best practice report demonstrated in the figure below Now we established that great Change Management significantly increase project success. But how do you ensure great Change Management is conducted and realize these benefits? That is where a Change Management Office (CMO) comes into the picture. A CMO is a function with the purpose of providing the organisation with a structured approach and a set of tools to manage the people side of the most critical changes. Studies conducted by Prosci show ...
Written by
Annika Lagoni