November 8 2010-executive behavior - change management

November 8 2010
Tip for the Day
Businesses change in order to grow, adapt and survive.  Executives are often responsible for identifying the need for change and then making those changes. Change Management skills and experience are valuable to employers. Change Management is a process utilized in corporations to “induce” change for a specific outcome or final result.  It is a complex process (but not complicated or scientific) because circumstances differ in different organization over time and because people are involved. That means that change can be difficult but also that it can be achieved through the application of common-sense and by following some basic principles: Scope- identify the scope of the change needed. How much change are you going to make and what exactly is going to change and how long do you have to make the change?  This can be accomplished most easily by understanding, clearly, the reasons for change.  Reasons for initiating CM are external or internal or sometimes both.  For example, an external incident might be a legislative issue within a company’s industry.  A law breaking up monopoly control of a market is a good example.  This could necessitate a privatization which would require a large scale change management endeavor.  An internal reason would be a need to update IT systems (e.g. implementing Order systems).  There are many reasons why a change management initiative would be necessary. Detailed Planning- setting up a clear, detailed and carefully reviewed plan is very important. 
One would need to identify the departments/divisions that would be taking part, the processes
that would need to be put in place, the HR support and or training programs required and the
time-line.  Large companies often use external consultants to assist in this process primarily
because of their expertise but also because they serve as a neutral third party to drive difficult
decisions and assist in actual  implementation.
Project Planning- All change management projects need to be broken down into project plans
with clear deliverables and timetables.
Communication- An ongoing communication plan needs to be set into place.  Change brings
great fear…this is just human nature.  A clear communication strategy keeps everybody informed
and serves to assuage any fears that might arise.
Identifying Change Agents- within every company there are individuals who can be utilized as
change agents.  These people can be found at almost any level of authority within the company.
You can employ their natural skills,loyalty and enthusiasm to assist in bringing about change
throughout the company. They can help communicate, commiserate, explain, train and lead.
Finding and training such individuals enhances the likelihood of success.
2009 bizcoach.biz - Part of HanBag LLC, registered in California, USA. It is not permitted to copy in full or in part or to distribute this material in any way without the express permission of the owners. Such permission will not be unreasonably withheld so please contact us at Consistency- there is a great deal of momentum needed to turn an organization around so
consistency is important.  If an initial burst of activity appears to loose steam then it is very hard
to re-engage your organization at some later stage. Adhering to detailed plans, timelines and
project scope is crucial. Many companies set up a board or team of people that are responsible
for maintaining the program flow.  Meeting regularly to identify potential issues or problems
prior to their development is the purpose of such teams, as is the ongoing two-way
communication flow.
These principles are simple but overall your Executive role is to; Drive toward the end-goal and  to realize and reinforce the specific benefits that will flow to everyone from a successful CM program.
2009 bizcoach.biz - Part of HanBag LLC, registered in California, USA. It is not permitted to copy in full or in part or to distribute this material in any way without the express permission of the owners. Such permission will not be unreasonably withheld so please contact us at 2009 bizcoach.biz - Part of HanBag LLC, registered in California, USA. It is not permitted to copy in full or in part or to distribute this material in any way without the express permission of the owners. Such permission will not be unreasonably withheld so please contact us at 2009 bizcoach.biz - Part of HanBag LLC, registered in California, USA. It is not permitted to copy in full or in part or to distribute this material in any way without the express permission of the owners. Such permission will not be unreasonably withheld so please contact us at

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