Change Management 101 Primer for Senior Executives (CEOs, COOs, CSOs, CMOs, CFOs, CCOs, etc.)

The following blog was written to provide a simple primer on Change Management for Top Executives. It is written so you ‘get it’ in 15 minutes or less of reading this article.

Change Management Best Practices
Change IS Disruptive, but Change Management Can Mitigate Impacts to Productivity

As a business leader, have you ever encountered the following challenges within your company:?

1. Implemented new technology or IT system and people failed to adopt & fully utilize it?

2. Implemented new processes and ways of doing business and your employees continued to follow the older methods?

3. Your competition continually seems to be evolving and innovating, developing new and more effective ways of doing business, while your company culture resists change and new ways of doing business?

The remainder of this blog is dedicated to sharing some of the techniques to get your organization to embrace and be supportive of change.  These change management techniques are based on my years of implementing change at organizations like Macy’s, American Express, Intuit, AT&T, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oracle, CBS Interactive, Wells Fargo, and numerous other Fortune 500 companies.


Topics in this blog:

1)      What is Change Management – A Simple Definition

2)      Why is it Important?

3)      Why is change resisted by so many employees?

4)      Do all employees approach change the same way and how do you harness the power of the innovators and change ‘early adopters’?

5)      How Change Management Helps Accelerate Change

6)      Change Management Mitigates the Impact on Productivity while Implementing Change

7)      The Organizational Change Model Facilitates Change Success & Greater Business Results

8)      Steps in the Organizational Change Model Ensure Change Project Success

9)      The Importance of the eight (8) Change Management Steps

10)   Summary – Change Management & Innovation Requires a 360°, holistic approach driven by skilled and experienced change management professionals

1)    A simple definition of what change management is:

Change Management Simple Defintion
A Simple Definiton for Change Mgmt.

2)    Why is change management so important?

Why Is Change Mgmt. So Important?

3)    Why is change resisted by many employees?

Change Resistence
Why is change resisted by many employees?

Bottom Line: Without proper education and motivation, change is naturally resisted within the workplace by all but a few.

4)    Do all employees approach change the same way?

As depicted by the below chart, employees range from ardent resisters to innovators. Change solicits the support from innovators and early adopters to help diffuse organizational change to the remainder of the organization.   

Change Adopters Profiles
Employee Change Adopter Curve

5)    How Change Mgmt. Helps Accelerate Change

Change not only removes obstacles to change, it helps develop enthusiasm and excitement for accelerated change in the future. 

Change Objections
How Change Mgmt. Helps Accelerate Change

6)    Change Mgmt. Mitigates the Impact on Productivity While Implementing Change

By having a robust change mgmt. methodology and plan, disruptions to business productivity can be minimized until the desired change state is achieved.  

Change Management Productivity Curve
Change Mgmt. Productivity Curve

7)    The Organizational Change Model Facilitates Change Success & Greater Business Results

By having a robust change management methodology and model, change success and enhanced business performance can be nearly guaranteed.

Organizational Change Management Model
Organizational Change Mgmt. Model

8)    Steps in the Organizational Change Model Ensure Change Project Success

Change projects must have clearly defined and measurable steps that align with the overall change methodology.  This approach greatly enhances the chance that the change project will be successful as well as facilitates the achievement of desired-positive business outcomes.

Change Manament Methodology Steps
Change Steps in The Change Mgmt. Approach

9)    The Importance of the eight (8) change mgmt. steps

Change Management Step 1
Change – Step #1
Change Step 2
Change – Step #2
Step 3
Change – Step #3
Step 4
Change – Step #4
Change Step 5
Change – Step #5
Step 6
Change – Step #6
Change Step 7
Change – Step #7
Step #8
Change – Step #8

10)         Summary – Change & Innovation Requires a 360°, holistic approach

In summary, change requires leveraging a proven change methodology, skilled change management practitioners and a holistic approach to implementing corporate innovation and change. The above is a simple depiction of a best practice approach I have used on many change management projects at many of the Fortune 500 companies in the US.

Summary
Holistic Organizational Change Components

For addtional information on this topic, reference the following:

  1. Prosci Methodology Overview
    https://www.prosci.com/methodology-overview
  2. CIO: What Is Change Management? A Guide to Organizational Transformation
  3. https://www.cio.com/article/272222/change-management-change-management-definition-and-solutions.html

Unknown's avatarAbout StevenJeffes
About Steve Jeffes: Steven Jeffes is a thought leader in developing world-class marketing, digital marketing, e-commerce, corporate innovation, CRM, social media, loyalty, customer loyalty/retention and customer service excellence programs. The recipient of many awards (http://www.stevenjeffes.com/stevenjeffes_awards.html), Steve is expert marketing strategy design & optimization: design, development and launch of world-class and best practice marketing and social media programs; change management organizational design and process excellence in marketing, sales, customer service, engineering, product management; and development of successful sales and sales management programs for Fortune 100 companies and government entities. He holds dual B.B.A. degrees in Computer Science and Finance from Temple University and a Master’s in Organizational Design and Excellence from the University of Pennsylvania/Wharton. Steve can be e-mailed at stevenjeffes@gmail.com or contacted via phone at 518-339-5857.

One Response to Change Management 101 Primer for Senior Executives (CEOs, COOs, CSOs, CMOs, CFOs, CCOs, etc.)

  1. Blogu's avatar Blogu says:

    This wass great to read

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