You're struggling with change management. What are the most common mistakes you should avoid?

One of the most common mistake that we make is we try forcing the change. Change is a process that requires a lot of human touch as it brings resistant & chaos along with it. Change must begin with influencing & buy-in. Identify all the stakeholder, bring them together and make them realize why the change is needed. Once the purpose is understood, make them excited about the benefits it brings and get their commitment. Go ahead, start implementing it

The biggest mistake(s) to avoid is two-fold: 1. Believing that change management is like project management for people. Yes, it's important to have a vision, clear communication, align internal objectives, etc. but that's no guarantee that your employees will get engaged or be motivated. 2. That you can get/ make people go from feeling a certain way (e.g. frustrated, annoyed, tired, etc.) to feeling a "better" way (e.g. happy, engaged, motivated, solution oriented, etc.). If you want to organizational change management to be effective, remain flexible, apply fair process, understand complexity, see if you can bring in distributed leadership, and learn about team science. I highly recommend The Flow System as a solid foundation to OCM.

-Lack of proper plan with break down of milestones -Lack of assessment of Risk, dependencies and challenges -Lack of alternative solutions to go to green if risks are high -Lack of celebration of small wins

First, failing to inform everyone at every stage of the process and provide a clear explanation of the "why" behind the change. Secondly, failing to give staff members enough time, assistance, or training to get used to the new work style.

-One of the common mistakes to avoid is to make assumptions. Never assume that every one understands change and is ready to change , you may find that those resisting more may be those you thought would be at the fore front of embracing the change. -Do not forget to celebrate the small wins, in times of change, the environment can be very tense, taking advantage of the small wins and celebrating them can make a big difference . - have a structured timeline , do not make a mistake of working without one as it becomes difficult for you to track your progress and the milestones you will have achieved. The timeline also helps with follow ups on the change management initiatives. Never make a mistake of thinking change management is a quick fix

Involving team members in change management is crucial for several reasons: 1. Buy-in and commitment: When team members are involved in the change process, they are more likely to understand the reasons behind the change and feel a sense of ownership over its success, leading to increased buy-in and commitment. 2. Unique perspectives: Each team member brings their own experiences and insights to the table, which can uncover potential challenges, opportunities, and innovative solutions that may not have been considered otherwise. 3. Increased morale and motivation: Involving team members in decision-making and problem-solving empowers them and boosts morale, as they feel valued and respected for their contributions.

Rather than "empowering" people to take action and contribute, share exactly what behaviors they're expected to do and what actions they are supposed to take (or ensure that they're psychologically safe enough to design their own actions) and why it's in their best interest to take action and contribute — not your why for them but truly their why.

Involve all stakeholders at the beginning of a change management process by taking an inventory of their perspectives. If the change vision is only coming from leadership's perspective, you may be missing critical details that contribute to the root problem.

- ressources given to the single members of a project team are not clear or competitive - after the initial presentation of the planned change is done, executive management doesn`t care anymore - Steering Committee ist not supporting during difficult phases but looking for guiltiness

As people go through change one thing they will need is a constant, as their leader that has to be you. As we know people go through the emotional cycle of change, what is less known is that some people may go through it more than once. You will need to make yourself available to help your people navigate their change journey. You know what the end should look like, they may not. Change drives fear & uncertainty as we all love being in our familiar comfort zone. You will need to be patient & empathetic, what you have to understand is that you have done the journey. The change will be emotionally draining for both you & them so it's also important that you find time to switch of mentally to be constantly at your best.

As you & your team travel along your change journey, it's important that you're open to feedback, both in the moment & in set meetings that I would suggest you set up. It's crucial that you set aside time to get a sense of how people are feeling, what they're finding difficult. This will enable you to shape the journey in a way that works for them whilst still being clear that the change has to happen to drive improvement in the business. Some people may find it difficult giving feedback face to face, I would advocate setting up a noticeboard or box where people can post their thoughts & feelings. From this you can create a monthly Q&A document to keep people informed of what's being asked. Be brave & ask for feedback.

As the Japanese proverb goes 'The bamboo that bends is stronger than the tree that resists' Showing that you're prepared to listen & change your approach is a sign of strength not of weakness. You won't have all the answers, so be brave & embrace the diversity & experience you have in your business. People will trust you a lot more if you're prepared to take their perspectives into consideration. Taking people on the journey will be a lot less painful if you consider their point of view. As the saying goes 'You have two ears & one mouth for a reason' Doing this will take vulnerability on your part, if you do this it will reap benefits as people will so you as someone they can trust & has their best interests at heart.

This is a common issue when change has been instigated, there is an assumption that once the work is finished all will be well. This can be a long way from the truth, the only way you'll know if it's been successful is when the people involved are working at the same or better level than they were before the change took place. I would always advoacte two reviews one at 4 weeks & one at 12. The 4 week should be understand if there are any immediate issues that needs addressing & the 12 should be a final check in to ensure all the benefits initailly identified are being realised. Only after 3 months or longer can you be assured that the change is embdded.

Change management transcends being merely a methodology or a ✅; it should seamlessly integrate into the fabric of a company’s culture. This integration proves crucial for minimizing resistance to change and expediting the adoption process. A well-structured change management plan adheres to a systematic yet flexible approach tailored to the stakeholders’ needs. Success hinges not only on change and project managers but also on a collaborative sponsorship coalition. This includes addressing concerns, offering support, and eliminating any encountered roadblocks to support the change.

Change management initiatives bound to face resistance. Biggest mistake many change management professional make is that, they expect people to listen, adopt to the change initiative they are proposing. Ask this question more often as a change management professional. "What's in it for me"..... are you answering this question for the change you are proposing

Navigating the complexities of change requires a keen awareness of common pitfalls. Clear communication stands as the linchpin, with the failure to articulate the rationale and vision of change leading to confusion and resistance. Stakeholder involvement and addressing resistance are paramount. Neglecting training, cultural alignment, and rushing the process can hinder success. Visible leadership support, consistent messaging, and flexibility are crucial for navigating change. Regularly measuring progress, celebrating milestones, and valuing employee feedback are key elements for impactful change management. Steering clear of these pitfalls ensures a more streamlined and successful organizational transformation.

- it is not clear to the management that people have to be taken into the change - very often we speak about teams but there is "only" a group of people coming together in a change project team - time has to be given to develop as a team - unrealistic time expectations related to deepening the change into an organization

I like to focus on showing off short term wins. When working through an initiative there is often an opportunity to show a live benefit of your project. This can help motivate your team. These wins should not only be highlighted to your stakeholders but celebrated as well.