Concepts Flashcards
4.1 Change is a Process
Change is not a single event, but a transitional process with multiple and varied events supporting the objective of moving an organization and its stakeholders from a current state to a future state.
4.2 Relationship to Strategic Planning
Change is initiated at many levels, yet a critical, natural link exists between strategic planning processes and change management. Strategic planning establishes a vision, and its component activities determine the future state and ongoing organizational changes required to successfully operationalize and sustain it. Change management drives individual and collective adoption, thus ensuring achievement of expected benefits and return on investment.
4.3 Types of Organizational Change
Types of organizational change and change definitions are almost infinite. Defining a change by the name of a project, a new systems initiative, process redesign, acquisition, policy, or procedure update is often incomplete. A change definition must be based on an analysis of a number of change variables that can differ from one change to the next, including technological
complexity, number and type of impacted stakeholder groups, degree of process change, amount of structural adjustment, physical relocations, benefit or compensation impacts, workforce adjustments, speed of implementation, degree of job role change, and geographic dispersion. However, what makes each change truly unique is that it affects individuals and organizations with unique value systems, cultural norms, histories, experiences with past changes, leadership styles, and levels of competency in managing change.
4.4 Relationship to Project Management
Project management and change management are complementary yet distinct disciplines that may overlap during change delivery, and are often interdependent when delivering value to the organization. The degree of overlap and interdependency can vary between organizations, depending on factors such as organizational structure, type of change, methodologies utilized, competency, and capability maturity.
4.7 Organizational Alignment and Change Management
Alignment is an important element of successful change initiatives. Leaders must have clarity of purpose and focus to align people, processes, systems, and structures in times of change. They must also develop contingency plans to detect and remediate alignment issues that may occur before, during, or after change occurs. Change capacity and capability can vary greatly from one organization to another, but the likelihood of the successful implementation and adoption of change is increased when the organization’s structure, processes, and people are continually aligned to a common vision. Organizational culture is another important element of organizational alignment that can influence change strategy success; therefore, it is important that leaders create an environment where followers have the necessary time and space to engage in and become comfortable with the new ways of working.
4.5 Organizational and Individual Change
Change is managed at both the organizational and individual levels. Change management facilitates the transition of organizations and their stakeholders to sustain the future state. Individual behavior change is essential to achieve this objective and the organization’s return on investment. It is also important to identify measures of accountability to ensure change is successful at both the organizational and individual levels.
