The Change Report
Summer 2018
Here at Change Guides, we hope you enjoyed your summer doing all of the things you love to do. We had a productive spring and summer here. We’ve recently released our new book, Managing Change in an Agile World, to help people who need to manage change in agile environments.

We have been practicing change management for over 20 years, and during that time we have seen the pace of change continuously increase. Lately, organizations have approached us thinking that they need to throw out all they know about change management to re-tool around a new project management approach and way of working called “Agile”. 

Instead of starting over, however, we have learned that successfully managing change in new fast iterative project environments requires understanding how to adapt traditional change management strategies and tools.

Enjoy the articles below, and as always let us know what you think!  


Would you like a free copy of our new book? Be one of the first 10 people to reply to this newsletter with your name and address and we will send you a book!


The Need for Agile Change Management
The pace of change today is staggering; we don’t need to tell you that. 

Back in the 90’s and early 2000s, there was a lot of talk about the difference between “incremental” and “transformational” change. Everyone wanted to say they were doing “transformational” change. Incremental was boring and silly and tired. Transformational was new and exciting and BIG. As a result, more and more projects became inter-related, and projects got bigger and bigger and more and more complex.

After several years of working on a large change, the organization would settle into a new normal. And after about 10 or 5 or even 2 years, they would do it all over again with “The Next Big Thing.”

In today’s world, that pace just won’t do. Today’s leaders want change, and results, now.

The challenge is that most change managers, project managers, and leaders learned how to manage the people side of change when projects and organizational changes were different. In our work with organizations that have been experiencing a crushing pace of change, it has become clear that traditional ways of managing the people side of change are no longer most effective. The good news is that over the last 5 years or so, many people have been testing new change management approaches to help people get ready, willing, and able in the field and have found what works and what doesn’t. 

Agile change management is the adaptive and iterative planning and execution of change management practices that encourages flexibility and speed. In agile change environments, changes happen swiftly and repetitively. In these environments, the goals of change management work are largely unchanged. However, there are unique principles and tools that influence how change management is applied to help people be ready, willing, and able to work in new ways.

If organizations want to make effective change, they need to recognize and deal with the principles of how change happens within agile organizations and have the tools to make the work happen. In Managing Change in an Agile World, we have identified the principles and practices for managing change in an agile, fast, iterative, environment. If you are leading or managing change in an environment that is agile, check it out and give us your feedback! 
The 10 Laws of Agile Change Management
In fast-paced change environments, the way people experience change is still rooted in each person’s own individual transition. People still have a need for control, understanding, support, and purpose; and they will naturally resist the change. During change that is either fast or slow, people need to feel connected to others and the purpose of the change. They need to believe that leaders are supporting the change. They need to be involved in the change, and they need reinforcement and support to sustain new ways of working.

Agile change management is the adaptive and iterative planning and execution of change management practices that encourages flexibility and speed. In agile change environments where the changes are happening swiftly and repetitively, there are unique approaches to integrate into change management that we call The 10 Laws of Agile Change Management.

10 Laws of Agile Change Management

1.          Maintain Focus on People
2.          Pay Attention to Leadership
3.          Balance Involvement with Speed
4.          Staff the Change Work Well
5.          Develop Infrastructure to Support Iterative Changes
6.          Establish a Change Management / Project Management Partnership
7.          Elevate Communications
8.          Simplify and Prioritize
9.          Look to the Long Term as well as the Short Term
10.      Balance Planning with Responsiveness
 
Learn more about each of the 10 Laws of Agile Change Management as well as an Agile Change Management Maturity Assessment in Managing Change in an Agile World: Principles and Practices.
Interested in learning more about managing change in agile environments? Change Guides has opportunities for you. Our 2.5 hour online training provides an overview of the principles for managing change in agile environments. This engaging session offers a forum to discuss challenges, proven strategies, and tactics when driving change in fast-paced initiatives.

Need more? In January, we will offer a two day certification on managing change in an agile world . Become a subject matter expert in Managing Change in an Agile World! The Agile Change Management Certification Program gives students hands-on experience applying change management strategies, tools and processes to a business case and their own projects. 
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