Understanding the Impact of People in Traditional Change Management

by Shannon Long, Consultant at Change Guides

Successful change management is the discipline of driving business results by changing behaviors. Whether you are launching a new technology, business process or completing a large-scale merger, leaders need to understand and prepare for the human element and emotional responses the dynamics of change create.

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For an organization to grow they must constantly be pursuing change.  Managing change can be tough. Not everyone within an organization may agree on the factors that lead to successful change. But one thing that is certain is that change impacts people. Regardless of the change, it can have a significant impact, both positive and negative, on individuals within an organization. When change is positive, it can increase employee morale, productivity, and engagement. Yet, when change has a negative impact, there can be in increase in stress, anxiety, and resistance.

On top of it, those being affected by change are often faced with multiple changes congruently. Behavioral reactions are not one size fits all. In psychology, the emotional responses to change are often described on a spectrum of complexities. In change management, we often describe it on a commitment curve which shows how people react and evolve over time as change occurs in an organization. Commitment is critical when seeking organizational change. It reflects the degree to which people have incorporated new mindsets and behaviors into new ways of working. Commitment is what links people with the change process. The commitment curve has 4 phases: Shock/denial, anger/fear, acceptance, and commitment. With knowledge of the commitment curve and likely responses to commitment, change leaders can plan how to minimize the negative impacts of the change and help people adapt to it more quickly.

But, as organizations and change leaders are faced with larger, more complex, and fast paced changes, coupled with budget cuts, reduced employee resources and deadlines, it is easy to overlook steps in the process. One of the biggest mistakes that many organizations make when implementing organizational change initiatives is overlooking the critical step of bringing change management to the table early in the process. Often the importance of the people impact is overlooked or not given enough attention and why many change initiatives ultimately fail.

To achieve positive results, you ultimately need people who are committed to success, motivated to get results and who possess the knowledge and tools to get things done. People naturally resist changes to the status quo. New ideas and mindsets about how to work and an individual’s role within the organization can create uncertainty and stress.

We tend to look at change at a bird’s eye view, but most changes happen on the ground level. The success of the change is often on the shoulders of the employee’s working day to day at the ground level. Yet, organizations often look at change at the enterprise level. Employees within an organization who engage in the change management process are more likely to embrace and feel like they are a part of the change, and they will be more likely to support it.

Let’s take a closer look at the impact of people on change. Unlike technology, workflows and business process, people are unpredictable. And understanding the needs of the target audiences will differ from project to project.  Change may force people into new roles and new ways of doing things. At the same time, change makes people give up established and valued ways of functioning; for many individuals, their sense of identity is linked to these established behaviors. When change is forced upon an individual or organization, there may not be sufficient time allotted for adjustment to new behaviors or letting go of traditional roles.

We know that many projects fail for lack of effective change management and commitment. We know that change management is every bit as important as project management. Yet, change management is often brought on well after the project management. Understanding the importance of bringing change management to the table early and utilizing tools at the onset of the project can often lead to a successful and sustainable implementation. Your challenge as a change leader is to apply effective change management principals and to anticipate and manage resistance.  Defining the impacts that change has on individuals early in the project can give clarity into the change plan and the activities needed to facilitate the change. This is crucial because it leads organizations toward increased outcomes and sustainable change.

There are many changes management tools that can be utilized within a project. The People Impact Assessment is one tool that can be used in the planning phase. It measures the impact that change will have on the individuals within the organization. Defining and planning for the impacts of change on individuals is crucial in any change management initiative. Utilizing tools, like the People Impact Assessment, among others, can help gauge the overall state of the organization at the onset of the project which can further help define and develop the change plan. This can help mitigate risks and foresee potential obstacles that might prevent the success and sustainability of the project. While change management is about moving organizations from the current state to the future state, understanding the impact on individuals at the onset can create a clearer picture on how to support the individuals through the change process.

The People Impact Tool, along with Change Guides suite of change management tools can be found at www.changeguidesllc.com