Are you considering the most important aspect of any change initiative...the PEOPLE? Whether you are launching a new technology, business process or completing a large-scale merger, leaders need to understand and prepare for the human element and emotional responses the dynamics of change create. In our first article, Understanding the Impact of People in Traditional Change Management, we explore a tool used to determine the impact the change will have on the people. In our second article, Agile Change Management: The People Impact, we talk about a tool to use in an agile environment.
Want training on agile change management? Scroll down to see our list of upcoming online sessions. Enjoy the articles below, and as always let us know what you think. Email us at guides@changeguidesllc.com.
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Understanding the Impact of People in
Traditional Change Management
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Successful change management is the discipline of driving business results by changing behaviors. Whether you are launching a new technology, business process or completing a large-scale merger, leaders need to understand and prepare for the human element and emotional responses the dynamics of change create.
For an organization to grow they must constantly be pursuing change. Managing change can be tough. Not everyone within an organization may agree on the factors that lead to successful change. But one thing that is certain is that change impacts people. Regardless of the change, it can have a significant impact, both positive and negative, on individuals within an organization. When change is positive, it can increase employee morale, productivity, and engagement. Yet, when change has a negative impact, there can be in increase in stress, anxiety, and resistance.
On top of it, those being affected by change are often faced with multiple changes congruently. Behavioral reactions are not one size fits all. In psychology, the emotional responses to change are often described on a spectrum of complexities. In change management, we often describe it on a commitment curve which shows how people react and evolve over time as change occurs in an organization. Commitment is critical when seeking organizational change. It reflects the degree to which people have incorporated new mindsets and behaviors into new ways of working. Commitment is what links people with the change process. The commitment curve has 4 phases: Shock/denial, anger/fear, acceptance, and commitment. With knowledge of the commitment curve and likely responses to commitment, change leaders can plan how to minimize the negative impacts of the change and help people adapt to it more quickly.
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Agile Change Management: The People Impact |
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In recent years, the world has gotten more complex and uncertain, and organizations cannot keep doing what they have been doing and expect different results. Many organizations have begun to adopt a more entrepreneurial mindset to stay competitive, but with that comes a faster way of doing things that many employees are not used to.
Managing change successfully in an agile environment requires an understanding of the similarities and differences to managing change in a traditional (waterfall) environment. While people and their reactions can be similar in either environment, the approach change leaders take in delivering change management activities is different.
Today we are seeing an increase in agile change management methodologies on projects that used to use the traditional (waterfall approach). What exactly is the difference between the two change management approaches? While agile and traditional (waterfall) change management are two distinctive methodologies of processes to change management projects. Agile, traditionally centered around software development, is an iterative methodology that incorporates a cyclic and collaborative process and emphasizes adaptation along the project lifecycle While traditional (waterfall) is a sequential methodology that is also collaborative, but tasks are generally handled in a more linear process and emphasizes milestones to determine if a project is moving forward.
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October 18, 2022, 9:30-12:00 pm EST
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Our Change Management Certification Program has been approved as an ACMP's Qualified Education Provider™ (QEP™) Program indicating that our program aligns to ACMP's Standard for Change Management and adult education best practices.
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