What Does a Change Management Plan Accomplish?
A change management plan is crucial because it helps manage the entire process of implementing whatever your organization is experiencing. This plan aims to minimize the negative impact of a change at both the company level and the individual employee level. The truth is that significant changes can be incredibly challenging, disruptive, and painful for the people who work for you. Strategizing your change management plan can help reduce that impact and ensure a smoother transition.
Six Simple Steps to an Effective Change Management Plan
Change management is quite complex by its very nature, so it’s important to start with a well-thought, well-written, and thorough plan. There are six steps to creating such a plan, and following them can help you execute changes smoothly and efficiently.
- Describe the need for the change. Even if you think the need for the change is obvious, your employees may see it as an unnecessary burden. The very first part of your change management plan should include details about why the change is necessary.
- Identify the team leading the change. Next, you will need to put together a team of people who are directly responsible for executing the change within your organization. It should be led by someone who has experience in change management within your organization’s scope, and it should also include people who are well-versed in communicating with stakeholders to address concerns and answer questions.
- Explain the scope of the change. What and who will this change affect? When does it need to happen? Will it alter anyone’s job roles, change your workplace policies, or even alter the structure of your organization? Providing thorough answers to these questions helps you develop a plan that addresses all of these issues.
- List the benefits you expect from the change. Change is uncomfortable for everyone, so the more clearly and accurately you can list the benefits and what people can expect, the more likely they are to give the change a chance without immediately resisting.
- Set attainable milestones. If the goal seems unattainable, it’s incredibly discouraging to your employees, and there’s a good chance that your change is going to fail before it even begins. Break down the entirety of the change into completely attainable milestones, and celebrate them along the way. This is one of the best ways to keep your employees motivated and engaged throughout the change process.
- Create a separate communication plan. Without clear and consistent communication, even the best-laid plans will ultimately fail. Before you start the planning process, make sure that your strategy also involves a separate communication plan. Focus on things like building trust, being transparent and visible, maintaining an open-door policy for questions and concerns, and even creating opportunities to speak to people one-on-one to calm their fears or listen to their complaints.
Change management is more than just a necessary part of running an organization – it’s an art, and it’s one that requires a great deal of finesse. Everything that goes into a solid change management plan should focus on soft skills above all else, so be sure to keep that in mind when you’re creating your strategy for change.
