Change Management
Effecting successful change management initiatives
Michael Stanleigh
Michael Stanleigh is President of Business Improvement Architects, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assist managers to effectively implement change initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – The author provides his viewpoint for a step-by-step approach to implementing change on the basis of his professional experience. Findings – Most change initiatives fail because management may not be engaging employees in the process towards change and do not allow sufficient time for changes to set. It is important to implement change in a series of phases that will engage employees and to allow sufficient length of time for each phase to become institutionalized within the organization. Practical implications – The author invites managers to apply a multi-step process to guide, include, empower, enlist, and motivate employees towards change. Originality/value – Senior managers will understand why change initiatives usually fail and how to effect successful change management initiatives in their organizations or departments. Keywords Change management, Organizational change Paper type Viewpoint
Background
Despite all the rhetoric, books, effort, and money thrown into change efforts, most organizational change efforts fail. Arthur D. Little and McKinsey & Co., have studied hundreds of organizations that entered into change initiatives and have found that about two-thirds fail to produce the results expected. In recent surveys, CEOs report that up to 75 percent of their organizational change efforts do not yield the promised results. These change efforts fail to produce what had been hoped for and yet always produce a stream of unintended and unhelpful consequences. These leaders develop clear strategies around re-design, restructuring, new efficiencies, and so on, hoping to get everyone to share their vision and create change programs around these strategies. However,
Michael Stanleigh
Michael Stanleigh is President of Business Improvement Architects, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assist managers to effectively implement change initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – The author provides his viewpoint for a step-by-step approach to implementing change on the basis of his professional experience. Findings – Most change initiatives fail because management may not be engaging employees in the process towards change and do not allow sufficient time for changes to set. It is important to implement change in a series of phases that will engage employees and to allow sufficient length of time for each phase to become institutionalized within the organization. Practical implications – The author invites managers to apply a multi-step process to guide, include, empower, enlist, and motivate employees towards change. Originality/value – Senior managers will understand why change initiatives usually fail and how to effect successful change management initiatives in their organizations or departments. Keywords Change management, Organizational change Paper type Viewpoint
Background
Despite all the rhetoric, books, effort, and money thrown into change efforts, most organizational change efforts fail. Arthur D. Little and McKinsey & Co., have studied hundreds of organizations that entered into change initiatives and have found that about two-thirds fail to produce the results expected. In recent surveys, CEOs report that up to 75 percent of their organizational change efforts do not yield the promised results. These change efforts fail to produce what had been hoped for and yet always produce a stream of unintended and unhelpful consequences. These leaders develop clear strategies around re-design, restructuring, new efficiencies, and so on, hoping to get everyone to share their vision and create change programs around these strategies. However,