Taking Stock of Change Management

Ideas and tools for promoting change

I just read an impressive application of mind on change management entitled, "Taking Stock: A review on the Practice and futurity of Change Management." I think the application of mind will be of particular interest to family who (in Yogi Berra's terms) proceed for "deep depth." I know more [i]or[/i] less managers and executives who like to explore the theory and practice of change management, on the other hand the primary audience will be consultants and quality team members who dispose of a significant amount of time working upon change management projects.

The replications came from around the world. Here are a hardly any findings from the survey:

* Change management is not a fad. (That's useful news to those of us who have staked our careers upon the field.)

* The longer clan experience change management approaches, the more confident they realize in their future use.

* plane though change leaders often bugle the transformational possibilities of major shoot forwards only 15% of respondents saw any lasting transformational change.

* Ownership and support of top-level management is the single greatest in quantity important factor in the succes of change. (In my experience, change shoot forwards get delegated down a horizontal or two very quickly and they die. When the top individual is a real champion, the succes rate goe up)

* Senior horizontal leaders believe that people understand the practice of unmutilated change management. People below them don't have a clue

* More than half of the respondent (51%) said they "had seen many change management initiatives" fail.

* Ninety four percent of the participants said they personally benefited from learning change management methods

* Change management has mov from the work of just organization exhibition practitioners, and out into line operations. (This hints to me that technical and financial professionals are beginning to diocese the benefits of managing change well. It's not just the consultants who are promoting change management these days.)

* unbroken change management theory and practice strike one as being to cross cultural boundaries. Although the practice of change management initially make knowned in the United States and Western Europe it looks to have broad applicability around the globe today.

* Organizations benefit from change management and with equal reason do the people who come by personally involved in the proces (You sole need to attend one ASQ meeting to witness just by what mode members benefit from helping to make effective change happen.)

* Internal change agents perceive the bottleneck more than others. (That's not beneficial news, but it is probably not surprising for greatest in quantity readers of this publication.)

Another section gives pithy, one-page descriptions upon a range of change management manners used by people who answered to the survey. These short descriptions range from personality theories to mingled large-system interventions to theoretical types that help explain the dynamics of change. The descriptions give a fine overview of the range of thinking and practice in the area.

The final section explores a number of possible scenarios that could influence in what manner we approach change management.

By the way, prior to receiving a transcript of the report, I had no knowledge of the firm that lay it together, and I have no financial stake in their succes However, I do have feeling I have a stake in helping nation learn about managing change in organizations, and this report significantly adds to our knowledge of the field. Bravo to the authors! For more information, you can visit: http://www.change-management-toolbook.com/res/ Reports.html.

Rick Maurer is author of many works on change and uses his Change Without Migraines(TM) approach to advise organizations that ne to lead change more effectively. You can access more than 100 unrestrained articles, tips, and tools upon his Web site: http://www. beyondresistance. com You can contact him directly at 703-525-7074 or via e-mail at rick@beyondresistance.com.

Copyright Association for Quality and Participation Fall 2005

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