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Articles
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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 -
June28
2018
Change Management across Regions and Cultures
Change Management (CM) is all about the people. And people are bearers of values and beliefs. It is thus easy to understand why cultural awareness and having globally literate leaders matter so much[1]. But how does this affect Change Management in practical terms? How do idiosyncrasies play out in the field? Take Europe for instance. Discussing emotions in the workplace proves to be somewhat difficult. As a result, individual transitions - though a critical aspect of change - are often overlooked. Having a good grasp of cultures and what they entail in terms of norms (and taboos) therefore helps adjust the actions, training and communication efforts. From local challenges to factors aiding adoption, we take you on a quick journey through the CM world landscape. Without further ado, here is an overview of the main results of a global survey conducted by PROSCI[2]. CM on a global ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
June15
2018
Part 2 - Preventing and Managing Individual Resistances
Resistance arises as a natural and arguably healthy consequence of imbalances provoked by change. It is fair to say that resisting is part of the game. It does become a real issue, though, from the moment the phenomenon solidifies and people stand on their refusal to change. The first part of this series focused on managing resistances at the collective level as a way of mitigating their effects at the individual level. The following offers tools to diagnose individual resistance patterns and to deal with resistance behaviours in the most effective way. Be warned that the best tricks are also the most counterintuitive! Four resistance reactions. “Am I really able to change?”, “Do I want to change?”, “What’s in it for me” … are just a few questions that arise whenever change is under way. The following typology classifies resistances along the two main dimensions that ...
Written by
Valérie Spaey -
May31
2018
Part 1 - Preventing and managing resistances at the collective level.
Ask any manager what is the hardest part about dealing with change, and chances are the response will be: managing resistances. Change is usually associated with uncertainty, stress and more often than not, a crisis of confidence that must be addressed head-on. In a nutshell, resistance operates as a survival strategy in the face of turbulences shaking down existing structures. As a normal result of disruptive events, it is not something leaders can turn a blind eye to. But the problem is precisely that those who initiated the change - or already adjusted to the new reality - have fully integrated it and tend to minimize difficulties as a result. Worst still, communication is often conceived of as a tool to inform, not to ease anxieties or frustrations and establish trust. This is a real problem for organizations given that communication is one of the key factors for driving ...
Written by
Valérie Spaey -
May22
2018
Most ineffective methods to deal with resistance.
Resistance is inherent to change. It may emerge at every stage of a project lifecycle and when left unchecked, ripple effects are usually devastating. Before things spin out of control, you might want to take stock of the lessons to be drawn from adverse scenarios. That’s right! Here is a list of the don’ts. Worst practice #1: Treating it as a non-issue. This may sound like a paradox, but ignoring resistance only adds fuel to the fire. What was once considered as a non-issue becomes a pressing priority as resistance spreads rapidly across the organisation. So much so that resistance is cited among the top obstacles to Change Management, along with lack of sponsorship, Change Management buy-in and prioritisation[1] (PROSCI 2018). What to do instead: As a rule of thumb, expect resistance whenever the status quo is threatened. Be proactive. Address the issue head-on by identifying its ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
May14
2018
Change Management: how mature is your organization?
In a competitive economy, there is growing awareness in organizations of the need to respond effectively to changes in order to stay in the game. For many, this has yet to translate into practical efforts to ultimately build CM (Change Management) as a core competency. At stake is the number of projects completed on time while staying on budget and delivering expected ROI. So where does your organization stand in terms of CM and where should you focus in order to improve? Using PROSCI’s auditing model[1] to rate CM “maturity” on a scale from 1 to 5, we help you find the right answer. Maturity Rating. When change comes as a surprise to most people in an organization, causing resistances, we really are at ground zero. Moving up the CM maturity model requires more attention to the people side of change. Level 1 - “absent or ad ...
Written by
Caroline Morck Jensen -
April23
2018
Getting started with Change Management: Prosci’s Five Tenets
Status quo is a dangerous place to be. In our fast moving world, organisations are pushed in the back to adapt and transform. But dealing with change takes intention and structured actions. Rushing headlong from one activity to another can only make things worse. That is where Change Management comes into play. As a context-specific approach, it requires a sound understanding of the reasons driving change and of its impact on the people. Only then can Change Management plans be properly rolled out. Here are Prosci’s Five Tenets of Change Management to help you get off to a great start. 1 - We change for a reason. There are three states in the change process: for simplicity the « current state », the « transition » and the « future state ». Whatever the words, change is always driven by a reasonable expectation that the future will be better than the present. Triggers ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
February27
2018
"How to": Integrating Change Management and Project Management
When it comes to implementing a project or a set of projects, Change Management (CM) can make a big and lasting difference. Unless you have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, you have to make sure everyone is on board. The simple truth is that the highest-quality technical solution may be a crash if not fully embraced and adopted by the people. Integrating CM and Project Management (PM) is all about bridging the gap between instalment and proficient, broad-based usage. PROSCI calls « unified value proposition » this combined effort to achieve sustainable change and improve the overall performance of the organisation. On a more general note, binding CM and PM may further advance the agenda of a discipline too often seen as peripheral or fuzzy. Project leaders have a knack for structures and processes, but so do CM practitioners. For CM teams, a unified value proposition means entering ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf