Your organization is facing a change management crisis. How can you prepare for it?

Before any organisation or leadership team embarks on a change/transformation, they should perform: a2BCMF Step 1: Change Definition. This starts with: Strategy Alignment: It is extremely important that the change is aligned to the organisation’s strategy and is part of the strategic portfolio. Too many leaders initiate projects that rarely deliver strategic change or sustainable benefits. A proper change project assessment should include: Revenue Potential: What are the potential future profits and benefits? Investment Requirements: How much capital is required? Strategic Fit: Does this opportunity fit with the organisation’s current strategy? Implementation Effort: How much effort will this opportunity require, and do we have capacity?

There is no change management crisis before the change initiation. It's simple logic not to go for a change, if you as a change leader, not prepared for it. You get into a crisis during a change when you failed to follow some critical factors which are the must to do things in any change. Some of those factors are effective communication, top leadership support and compelling case for change, etc. If you face such crisis, pause for a while and do root cause analysis to assess what went wrong and what actions required to counter the damage.

In my prior experience, effectively preparing for change and handling crises demanded a balanced, human-centric yet professional approach. Readiness for change involved understanding the situation, aligning leadership, and fostering open, empathetic communication to secure stakeholder support. Proactively addressing crises meant assembling a dedicated team, maintaining clear, compassionate stakeholder communication, and making flexible resource allocations. Continuous risk assessment, comprehensive crisis planning, and employee training were crucial. This combination of professional readiness and compassionate crisis response strategies proved invaluable in navigating challenges and maintaining positive relationships.

Isn't every change management project a bit of a crisis ☺️ Surely, one that should be turned into an opportunity. You can make a deep dive to the roots of the crisis. Has everyone understood the value-add? Is the value-add a real one? Have you considered the gap from now to changed state? Encourage your team to collaborate and share openly their feedback and concerns. Make sure the project takes them into account. Take step by step all the hurdles. Good luck!

To prepare for a change management crisis, one should start by establishing a clear communication plan that outlines how information will be disseminated across the organization. Two, develop a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential challenges and create contingency plans for various scenarios. Three, engage all the key stakeholders early, ensuring their buy-in and support. Four, train a dedicated crisis management team in change management principles and crisis response strategies. Five, foster a culture of flexibility and resilience by encouraging feedback and adaptive learning. And, lastly regularly review and update your crisis management plan to reflect new insights and conditions.

Make it clear why the change is necessary, what the change will make possible that is not possible today. Get very specific about the intended results of the change and what each person needs to do differently to make the change succeed.

Where are you taking your stakeholders? Take them on the journey as you tell your story, most importantly showcase what's in it for them. People will be less resistant if they can see the value delivered by the change, how the change will be implemented and what the specific impact is on their day to day life.

Communicating the vision during a change management crisis is essential as it provides a clear direction and purpose, helping employees understand the reasons behind the changes and the desired outcomes. This clarity fosters alignment and buy-in, as employees are more likely to support and engage in the change process when they see how it aligns with the organization's future goals. Moreover, a well-communicated vision serves as a guiding star, keeping the entire organization focused and resilient in the face of challenges and uncertainties that accompany change.

Communicating the vision is essential. One needs to be able to communicate the vision and localised the message to the stakeholder group. You should start at rhetoric top of the organisation structure. It is important to build that guiding coalition and ensure that there is a robust model of sponsorship for the change. Slowing down to speed up and getting this stage right is the foundational element of change management and is important to get right. Without this there can be no change.The change manager needs to understand the business problem and drivers for the change, the benefits, the timeframe with which the change/transformation will take place during and the risk to the business of not changing.

I use the following often and repeat them: 1. Clear Vision: Share why this change is happening and what you hope to achieve. Relate is back to the organization. 2. Personal Impact: Explain how this change will affect each person in the team. Clearly shows you are concerned for them. 3. Consistent Messages: Use plain language in emails, meetings, and videos. Sometimes, it would be good to have a note top-down. 4. Regular Updates: Keep everyone informed about progress and any shifts in plans. 5. Be ready to address worries and questions honestly. 6. Diverse Channels: Reach out through various ways like newsletters, webinars, and town halls. 7. Feedback Loop: Encourage feedback and show how it's shaping the change process.

Keys to ensuring everyone climbs the same bandwagon: 📝: Bring your team into the planning stage. Ask for their ideas and suggestions. 💬: Encourage honest conversations. Listen to their concerns and hopes. 👏: Celebrate their contributions and successes, big or small. 🛠️: Offer the tools and training they need to succeed in the new setup. 🤝: Be transparent about what's happening. Admit when you don't have all the answers. ❤️: Understand that change can be tough. Show that you're there to support them. 🔊: Regularly ask for their input and show how it influences decisions.

The concept of "engagement" can be misleading, especially during organizational change. Telling your team about a change and asking for feedback is not the same thing as asking them to collaborate and co-create, which is harder than it sounds. Why? The reality is that many organization's continue to follow a top-down approach to implementing change. While there needs to be some level of "top down" - stakeholders want to follow leaders they trust - true engagement happens when teams are given ownership of the change outcomes. Provide the right information, training, and opportunities to practice, and layer in milestones, targets, and recognition moments - and willful engagement will increase.

In my experience, engagement and alignment of the team are critical prior to the launch of a change initiative. Most imperative is to ensure that the team’s individual skill sets are slotted to the right roles (right people, right seats), such that when it comes to start executing on the actual work of the initiative you have the capacity to actually get the work done in a timely and high impact manner. From a leadership perspective, it’s also critical to be able to sell the value and necessity of the initiative to skeptical team members.

1. Communicate openly and transparently with your team about the nature of the crisis, its potential impacts, and the steps being taken to address it. Honesty fosters trust and unity in challenging times. 2. Empower leaders at all levels to manage the change within their areas. Provide them with the authority, resources, and support they need to implement changes effectively and address their teams' concerns.

Including your team is essential for long term success. If people feel part of the change process, they will respond to change in a positive way. Excluding them will only slow down the change process. A simple rule to follow. "If it impacts an individual or team, include them in the change programme"

During periods of change, effective transition management is essential. This involves communication, leadership support, and monitoring changes. Transparent and consistent communication is paramount during transitions to ensure everyone understands the vision for the future. Establish an open platform for employees to express concerns and ideas. Equally important is to have leadership provide reassurance and guidance, acknowledging that each team member may experience the transition differently. Tailor support and offer resources to navigate the new landscape. Establish a continuous feedback loop, allowing for the evaluation and adjustment of the transition strategy as needed.

I use the Engage, Communicate, Resolve, Repeat (ECRR) approach. I came up with it myself. Clear Roles and Expectations 🎯: Define everyone's part in this change. Make sure they know what's expected. Timeline and Budget ⏳💰: Set a realistic schedule and budget. Keep everyone updated on these. Tracking Performance 📊: Regularly check how the change is going. Are we on track? Show it using data. Resolving Conflicts 🛠️: If problems pop up, address them quickly and fairly. Celebrating Milestones 🎉: When we hit key points, let's celebrate together! Positive Reinforcement 👍: Keep highlighting the good that's coming out of this change. Adaptability 🔄: Be ready to tweak plans if needed. Stay flexible and open to feedback.

Uma coisa que achei útil foi criar espaços seguros de troca e discussão onde as pessoas envolvidas em um processo de mudança podem manifestar suas dificuldades, angústias e buscar apoio em seus pares. Tais espaços, além de favorecerem o alinhamento e o sentimento de coletividade, funcionam como “termômetro” e são grandes oportunidades de coletar feedback para melhorias no processo em curso.

This falls under Stage 2 of my change management framework: Execute and Manage. Execution entails clarity and definition of roles, tasks and timeline, tracking of progress while keeping an eye on adaptive actions as needed. While this is important, celebrating the small wins will bring the engagement quotient to a high % within your team and stakeholders.

In change processes, to effectively manage the transition, it's crucial for the leader to 'walk the talk.' Leaders should embody the change they advocate, demonstrating their commitment through actions. Moreover, recognizing that change is an iterative process, leaders should be adaptable, continuously aligning actions with evolving objectives and feedback, reinforcing the change goals and building trust in the journey.

I measure using the following to ensure there is progress. Communicate these and raise awareness. Frankly, it takes effort to start, but it becomes easier. Measure Impact 📏: Look at how the change affected our performance and culture. Are we doing better? Before and After 🔍: Compare data from before and after the change. What's different? Surveys and Interviews 🗣️: Ask the team and stakeholders how they feel about the change. Analyzing Data 📊: Dive into the numbers. What do they tell us? Learning Lessons 📚: Identify what worked well and what didn't. How can we improve? Sharing Findings 💬: Be open about the results. Let everyone know what we've learned. Continuous Improvement ➡️: Use what we've learned to keep getting better.

After navigating through a change management crisis, it's crucial to assess the outcomes and lessons learned. Utilize key performance indicators (KPIs), feedback mechanisms, and post-implementation reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the crisis response strategy. This enables continuous improvement, identifies areas for refinement, and enhances organizational resilience in the face of future challenges.

Many organisations ask someone from the change management team to facilitate a post implementation review (PIR). This can easily become a finger pointing exercise that focusses on blame rather than process improvement. These reviews should be conducted long enough after a change so that the true impact can be assessed. Having sound baseline (before) data is crucial and also that current data are fair comparisons. Of course this is the perfect time to re-visit the business case benefits promise, unfortunately something I have very rarely seen.

I truly believe that evaluating and tracking results is crucial. It is the first indicator to measure the need for modification in procedures, plans, etc., or it will be the reassuring feeling that things are moving in the desired direction. For that reason, I see it as a continuous process all along the way ❕

Rather than viewing this as the final step, it is important to view it as a continuous learning cycle. The metrics need to be defined upfront. Once we know what the share intended outcomes are, we can ask those we engaged with how we might measure successful. And then, as we measure, we have to mindful of the unintended consequences of measurement, which can deviate the focus from the end-goals if they are focused on output and process metrics, rather than a longer-term outcome. While the evaluation is important, it is the conversation about the evaluation that matters more.

Any change disrupts a system. Adaption and adjustments are to be expected and new changes will emerge. During this phase, it might be important to recognize that the change is part of a continuous learning cycle and not a permanent end state.

Change is hard especially when it’s a significant change. Whether it’s a new system, process or an organizational shift, a lot of pieces have to work together well for it to go right. If you find your change is not going as planned and is at risk, take the time to assess the situation quickly and effectively. Find the root cause by asking why and why again. Involve key players and outline / adjust responsibilities. Come up with a game plan. Slow down if needed. And if it’s not working at all, with no fix in sight, make the hard decisions. Don’t let a change management crisis shut down your business.

Change management is a critical process that enables organizations to navigate transitions and achieve desired outcomes. However, change initiatives can face unexpected challenges when a crisis arises. In times of crisis, organizations must be prepared to adapt their change management strategies to address the urgent and unpredictable nature of the situation.

Adapting to change and improving involves embracing change as an opportunity for growth and development, staying open to new ideas and approaches, and seeking feedback to identify areas for improvement. Committing to lifelong learning, setting clear goals, and taking proactive action are essential. Regularly reflecting on progress, adjusting your approach, and maintaining a positive mindset are also crucial. These steps help you adapt more effectively to change and continually strive for improvement.

Prioritize adapting and improving while carefully balancing organizational changes with your team's feedback and needs. This approach involves actively listening to your team, integrating their insights into the change process, and adjusting strategies to address their concerns and suggestions. By maintaining this balance, you ensure that changes are not only aligned with organizational objectives but also resonate with your team, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the change initiative. This dual focus enhances the effectiveness of the adaptation process and contributes to a more resilient and engaged team.

Bring tea and biscuits! a) Sit and meticulously watch as it unfolds b) Offer those with the right mindset a place to rest as they battle in the madness c) Dunk if you want to but always consider the tensile strength of the biscuit under full moisture load

In my experience, change is generally stressful for most people. This affects how well people can listen or take in what is being communicated to them about the why of the change. To prevent crisis, I've found it helpful to also communicate what won't be changing and what stays the same, during a change process. This provides something for people to anchor to, and also a sense of scope (how big is this change and where does it end). When colleagues can see that there is a limit to what will be shifting and what they can still count on, it can help the change feel more manageable and even exciting for them, as they know where to focus.

Assessment: Evaluate the scope and impact of the change. Communication Plan: Develop a clear and consistent communication strategy. Leadership Alignment: Ensure leaders are aligned and supportive of the change. Employee Engagement: Involve employees in the change process and address concerns. Training: Provide necessary training and resources for the new processes. Feedback Mechanism: Establish a feedback system to address issues promptly. Monitoring and Adjusting: Continuously monitor progress and adjust the plan as needed.

Thanks for drawing attention to the underresearched topic of biscuit moisture load. So many cups of tea ruined through media suppression and cover ups. You're fighting the good fight, Ket!

It is imperative for organisations to establish a comprehensive crisis committee consisting of key stakeholders. This is an absolute necessity, and the lack thereof would undoubtedly raise concerns about leadership, resilience, and strategic abilities. In both life and business, change is an inevitable constant. Therefore, we must consistently remain prepared to adapt. While most changes are not critical or crisis-driven, they represent mere stages of evolution and progress. In the event that you encounter a genuine crisis, it is crucial to have already established a committee and a framework to guide your actions and determine timelines. And if you don’t have a clue what to do, all else fails… Just give me a shout! I’ve got this 🫡✨