Exercising your organization’s change muscles
Part of ensuring business leaders have the tools they need to allow their teams to thrive involves making Organizational Change Management (OCM) part of your company’s DNA.
The marketplace of ideas is constantly changing, and the only way you can keep up is if change is part of your company culture. Fortunately, there are several ways to accomplish this.
1) Lay the groundwork
When you begin rolling out OCM at a company-wide level, you want to remain consistent. You should determine what methodology you want to implement and lay out who will be responsible for what in this new hierarchy. Everyone should know what they will be responsible for doing when change is imminent. This groundwork makes it easier for people to kick it up a notch when times of change are on the horizon.
2) Build awareness
OCM is difficult when people do not understand why it is there. When change comes to your company, you need to express why this change is happening as well as how it will benefit everyone in the long run. People are naturally resistant to change. A big upheaval can be daunting. However, communication lets people feel more at ease that you know what you are doing. Transparency is key.
3) Engage with leadership
Change at a company means everyone has a lot more on their plates and that should include dedicated leadership. The leaders of an organization should reinforce the notion that transformation is good by constantly repeating its virtues and putting in the hard work themselves. Everyone should pitch in, and supporting those efforts will send signals to everyone else.
4) Create a sense of community
It is easy to express how the change will benefit everyone on a rational level. However, some people may not care about the logistics. As you express the need for transformation, you need to also appeal to people on an emotional level. Create a community within your business where people want the best for one another.
5) Coordinate between managers
The leader implementing OCM needs to work closely with the general project manager (PM) to work through the OCM team’s daily activities. Together, they can communicate more clearly, coordinate training and help support greater recognition. From there, OCM staff can go to different departments and work closely with the target group, making sure they understand the new processes and stick with them in the coming weeks and months.
6) Be patient
Patience is a true virtue. Rolling out OCM throughout an organization will not happen overnight. There are bound to be some hiccups, so do not expect everything to flow smoothly at the beginning. Plan for setbacks and plan for resistance. It takes time, but as long as you follow through, you can reap the benefits.
By embedding OCM across your organization, it will seep into every aspect of your organization from leadership training to career paths. PowerED™ by Athabasca University offers a course called Implementing a Digital Future. You can learn more about OCM efforts on your way to receiving the Digital Transformation Leadership Certificate.
So, how can your organization embed OCM into its DNA?
