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Articles
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December02
2020
How Danish Culture Affects Change Management
Danes are odd. Objectively speaking – we are weird. Danish culture has the interesting characteristic of being at extreme ends of many measurable, cultural dimensions. And of course, this also impacts how we do change management. But in what way? At a conference hosted by Prosci this year, the Expert panel – consisting of change management specialist from around the globe – was asked questions on how different cultures impact our change management work. Great observations were aired out in this forum. And it was clear, that even though we do the same things – we adapt differently depending on the culture we operate in. Understanding our (cultural) profile diminishes our unconscious biases. We cannot NOT have biases. But when they become conscious, we can adapt specific tactics to put into different parts of our change management work. An example is the way we appeal to decision ...
Written by
Anna Balk-Møller -
November23
2020
Seven tips for managing resistance in Covid-19.
Resistance is a natural reaction to change. It happens when people pause to understand and evaluate what this means for them. And there are always good reasons why people resist. Often it is due to poor leadership or poor change management. We can influence both. Resistance takes new forms in Covid-19 and can be more difficult to identify and manage. You need the same "tools"[1], but you must switch formats and double down on your efforts. A hybrid workplace and a new focus on safety call for adjustments to the way we deal with resistance. But as always, the more proactive and empathetic the approach, the easier it will be to avoid the further development of resistance. Three new resistance challenges Covid-19 is too big a change to handle. People resist for a good reason. And there is no shortage of reasons in an anxiety-inducing context ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
November10
2020
Use individual purpose to drive change in Covid-19.
Organisations are facing a tactical and logistical nightmare. All energies are focused on safely returning to the workplace, recovering or simply holding tight. “Is this really a time to talk about individual purpose?” you might ask. Yes, now is exactly the time to focus on individual purpose. Today’s biggest challenge is to maintain employee engagement in a disrupted and anxiety-ridden work environment, promoting well-being and building resilience. Not just to stay afloat. Not just to keep an edge. Individual purpose is the lever to manage change and emerge stronger. It is, therefore, more important than ever. 3 reasons why leveraging individual purpose should be part of the business playbook now Because people need to find something “in there for them”. Let’s go back to the basics. The WIIFM (What’s In It For Me question has been a staple in Change Management from the early days. People need ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
October22
2020
Covid-19 has changed "effective sponsorship". Here is how.
Do you know what #1 success factor is for any change initiative? I bet you guessed it. It is having a fully committed and visible sponsor. This has been true for as long as it has been researched. Sponsors can make or break a change. And Covid-19 will significantly amplify their impact, for better or for worse. Successful change demands effective sponsorship. Crisis-led change demands even more and better sponsorship. We know that sponsors must be Active, Build coalitions and Communicate directly with employees. That has not changed. But Covid-19 presents leaders with new challenges. Let’s look at what they are … without overlooking the fact that disruption also brings opportunity. New skills, same roles … and more important Some behaviours have become more critical than others in a world grappling with uncertainty and operating on new hybrid ground. Effective sponsors must mirror the traits of “adaptive ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
September29
2020
Use ADKAR to help people return to the workplace
Adapt. Reconfigure. Emerge stronger. Clearly, the post-Covid-19 area is riddled with organisational challenges. There is no blueprint for dealing with a pandemic in the workplace. But there are good and bad change management strategies. Change happens one person at a time. And change itself is a process, or better said, a journey. Breaking down change into smaller steps is the single best way to keep things on track and eliminate obstacles. Create Awareness and Desire for the change; deliver Knowledge; foster people’s Ability to implement skills and required behaviours; Reinforce the outcome: This is AKDAR´s method in a nutshell. Now, how do you apply ADKAR to today´s challenges, more specifically, to help people go back to the workplace? Just so we are on the same page, the first part takes you through the basics of the model. We then turn to explore the challenges specific to each phase ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
September16
2020
CM is facing two new challenges due to Covid-19
Change Management practitioners have a lot on their plate. Why? Because we now face two new challenges due to Covid-19; ensuring a safe move to the “new normal” and changing how we do Change Management. Returning to the workplace (RTW) might feel like stepping into a new world. Changes will impact every aspect of our work, from how we collaborate to where we work, and how we are managed. CM is the key to making that happen. At the same time, we as CM practitioners, must realise that Covid-19 is a before-and-after moment in the history of the discipline itself. In plain terms, we cannot afford to do CM the way we did it a year ago. Let’s see what those two challenges look like[1]. 1.“Moving back”: Look beyond the urgency to provide meaningful answers Returning to the workplace involves many changes. One of the most pressing ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
September02
2020
4 simple steps to craft a compelling “why” for your change.
You carefully explained what was going to change, and how. You repeated and reframed the message, many times. But to no avail. Resistance to change is a hard thing to beat, and the biggest cause of project failure. You need to shift the conversation. Here is the trick: don´t tell them what you are doing, tell them why you are doing it. A compelling why is all it takes to galvanise people into action and make change happen. The following model designed by our partner PROSCI guides you through the process of crafting the story of change. A simple, straightforward, yet highly effective method to get it right the first time around. The story of change, in a nutshell. The model is divided into four sections, each one targeting a specific set of arguments. You should start with the logical aspect of the “why”. But no not dwell ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
August19
2020
Building a CM team: All you need to know about people and structure(s).
You are responsible for building a Change Management (CM) team. Two questions pop into your mind. First, who should you choose? Second, how to structure the team? You will not be the only one to ask how to go about these tasks. And even if there is no right or wrong, we do know what might work best. Here are some key points to consider[1]. Choose the best people Let us focus on the most important element first: the people. That way, we will remain true to the core principle of CM. People are the core constituents of change. You obviously want the best to spearhead the next big move. Which attributes do great CM team members typically have in common? What should you pay attention to? According to research conducted by PROSCI, the topmost sought-after skills are the following: Communication: this one is straightforward. The ability ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
June23
2020
Back to work after Covid-19: The importance of defining the impact of change.
In our previous post, we emphasized the importance of empathy mapping in extreme circumstances such as Covid-19. Organizations now face the urgent task of redesigning the working environment in accordance with new sanitary regulations. Many employees have probably expressed concerns over the post-lockdown workplace rules and wider consequences of the crisis. Clearly defining the impact of change, and co-creating the roadmap with collaborators where possible, is key. Here is another essential tool to respond to Covid-19 related challenges and help people push past resistance. 10 working areas, different impacts. When asked to consider the potential advantages of highlighting the impact of change, participants in one of our recent webinars offered insightful answers: less rejection, greater efficiency and likelihood of success, coalition building, change reinforcement, better engagement, sensemaking… These are just a few key points that make a compelling case for defining the impact of change before taking any ...
Written by
Renaud de Lombaert