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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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February24
2020
“How to” integrate CM and Agile: adjusting the approach.
Change Management and Agile are grounded in symmetrical principles and deliver added value where they intersect. But integrating CM seamlessly in an Agile environment comes with some challenges as well. Our last post hashed out the main obstacles … and highlighted the payoff. It is now time to address practical issues. How should you adapt? What should you do differently? How does Agile affect the Change Management approach and the dialog between CM and PM? Without further ado, here are some guidelines, ranging from the broad to the specific. Overall… …develop an iterative approach to Change Management. In other words, focus on the core methodology and key components, leaving room for adaptations. Make sure to execute on activities that deliver maximum value, and put responsiveness first. You might want to redefine success metrics as you go and test new approaches (more on this below). Of course, operating ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
February10
2020
“How to” integrate CM and Agile: what you need to know before starting.
In our first instalment, we reviewed the set of values and principles common to both Agile and Change Management. Because many Change Management assumptions and standards find an echo or are mirrored in Agile, both disciplines can work in synergy to deliver extra value. But how exactly should you integrate Change Management and iterative project development? And how different is the approach to managing the people side of change in an Agile environment with respect to one running on Waterfall methods? Here is everything you need to know before starting, from the impact of Agile on Change Management to key success factors and obstacles[1]. 1. How do iterative methods impact Change Management? The answer is pretty straightforward: Change Management must itself become iterative, aligned with sprints and releases. It is only logical that Change Management plans should be turned into, say, “provisional by design” documents. The hardest part ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
January28
2020
Change has a new name: Nexum Group
Nexum and proacteur join forces to leverage strengths and support world leading brands in their change management capability across Europe and North Africa. Merger deal signed between Nexum and proacteur, both major Prosci affiliates in Continental Europe and in North Africa. Capital increase courtesy of a new equity partner, Profinpar. Newly formed Nexum Group now prepared to support Europe’s and North Africa largest and smallest clients. Combining international reach with local expertise in most Western European languages. Seamless transition guaranteed for existing Nexum and proacteur clients with same level of service and single point of contact. Merger to strengthen market impact according to Prosci, the company behind leading change management methodology, ADKAR. Brussels, 28 January 2020 – Nexum and proacteur, two of Europe’s largest and most experienced change management consultancies have today joined forces to become the leading player in Europe and North Africa: Nexum Group. ...
Written by
Nexum Group -
January14
2020
Change Management & Agile Series: Exploring Common Values and Principles.
You are all familiar, at least to some extent, with “Agile”. Iterative development methods have been around for almost four decades. The Agile Manifesto itself was formalised at the turn of the millennium. Originally targeting software development, Agile has grown to become a discipline in its own right, based on a set of values and principles. But how does it articulate with Change Management, the discipline that seeks to maximise adoption and usage of change(s)? Agile clearly finds an echo in Change Management through common values and symmetrical principles. This certainly enables Change management to be an effective method to move to Agile or navigate Agile projects. In fact, we could say that the two disciplines are coextensive, delivering increased value where they intersect. This series of 6 articles offers an in-depth exploration of the intersection between Agile and Change management, down to the nuts and bolts of how to ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
December10
2019
Change saturation is increasingly common and here is what you can do about it.
With more and bigger changes happening at an accelerated pace, overlapping is pretty inevitable. So much so that 73% of respondents to the recent PROSCI’s Best Practices Report have declared that they were close to, or surpassed the point of saturation. Past this point, people are unable to absorb more changes, causing adoption and usage rates to plummet. As fatigue sets in, the effects on the workplace can be devastating. Change saturation can - and should - be addressed if only to mitigate its impact. Here are PROSCI’s 6 recommendations* to get the most of your transformational efforts, present and future! *This article is based on PROSCI’s 6 strategies for reducing change saturation[1]. Make sure to check in-text references to learn more about related issues. It all starts with an extensive inventory. With many projects underway and forthcoming, you need to establish priorities. Making an inventory ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
November25
2019
Change Management Trends: a conversation with Caroline Mørck Jensen
PROSCI’s Global Partners recently met to reflect on Change Management (CM) trends, uncovering challenges and opportunities worldwide. We are excited to bring you a timely and telling conversation with Denmark-based expert & Partner at NEXUM, Caroline Mørck Jensen. Because she plays a very active role in the Benelux, French and Swiss markets, Caroline has a thorough and unique understanding of Western European dynamics. Watch the video interview and read on to expand on key aspects of the discussion! An ever-increasing demand for Change Management. Partners have made very clear that there is a growing awareness and demand for CM globally (also see “Trends in CM” and “CM across Regions and Cultures” articles). Along with change saturation challenges, the need to reinvent the organization while maintaining “business as usual” for all customers is certainly a major issue driving demand for Change Management in Europe (De Jaeger ...
Written by
NEXUM with Caroline Mørck Jensen -
November12
2019
Change Facilitation Systems: Change Management (CM) as an integrated aptitude (III)
Accelerating and overlapping changes, multifaceted opportunities and problems … all of these challenges call for equally sophisticated solutions that combine processes and tools to create a future-proof organisation. Not for nothing do we observe an increasing number of business players choosing to deploy so-called “facilitation systems” through which they acquire new aptitudes to deal with change. In this third instalment dedicated to organisational agility, we explore most common Change Facilitation Systems (CFS) to gain insight into how most innovative organisations approach change-readiness. You will not be surprised to hear that Change Management is an essential contributor. But you might be interested in learning more about the way(s) it is being combined with other aptitudes. Read on to find out! What’s in a word ? On the surface, the term “Change Facilitation System” evokes sophistication, integration and embeddedness. Clearly, it covers multiple situations and setups. Strictly defined, a Change Facilitation ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
October29
2019
Most agile organisations share these 10 attributes. What about yours?
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity: those are the characteristics that best describe the world we live in. To outlast the shocks and be successful in the long run, organisational agility is of paramount importance. PMI[1] is making a very clear equation between greater agility and performance, performance and advanced competitive advantage. But what exactly does agility – not the method (AGILE), but the buzzing adjective – mean? It is first and foremost a way of being, characterised by flexibility, durability, velocity and adaptability. It comes as no surprise that Change Management consistently ranks as an essential contributor. We have done the homework for you and put together a list of relevant definitions as a prelude to introducing PROSCI’s 10 attributes of agile organisations. Here are the key takeaways we have captured. “Being agile” across and beyond definitions. Hidden behind the sheer number of definitions of “agile” (as ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
October15
2019
Making a case for organisational agility (I)
You are obviously very familiar with the term agility, that winning combination of flexibility, durability, rapidity and adaptability. Develop it, and you will prosper. But how many times have you heard that there is no need for CM to build organisational agility, just a change platform and the right aptitude? Such an assertion is both false – like saying “you don’t need physical exercise, just stay healthy” – and fraught with serious consequences. To develop a real organisational aptitude, you have to get better at doing CM, grow more expertise and build new skills across the organisation. In this series, we help you make a case for agility, bringing CM into the equation. Start by reviewing triggers and drivers of change. Changes are growing bigger, multiplying at a faster pace than ever before, sometimes overlapping to the point of saturation. In other words, the time span of ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF