Why Do Change Programmes Fail?
Why do change programmes fail?
OK you’ve seen that headline many times before. I could bore you with the statistics about change. Let’s cut to the chase. The problem is people. Whatever the change, there will be all sorts of people involved; colleagues, customers or suppliers. What amazes me is often change programmes, big and small, just fail to address the basics. So, what are the basics?
Key elements of successful change programmes
Engagement
Authentic, two-way, engagement with your people from the start, all the way through the change activity. Not just communication, but actually getting people involved in deciding the direction of the change, which also makes sure they really understand and are committed to the change. And to be crystal clear sending out a PowerPoint deck just does not hack it.
Organisation culture
Embedding real change in what people do, why they do it, and the results they get is at the heart of change. Changing processes and structures is important, but if you don’t align the culture at the heart of the organisation you won’t make really change happen or make it stick.
Change execution
Having a good idea for change isn’t enough; you need to be able to make sure it actually gets delivered. That requires defining, structuring, measuring and reporting the change effectively. Otherwise, you won’t know whether you’re doing the right things, at the right time, or in the right way. And you definitely won’t know whether what you’re doing is successful or addressing the problems you identified in the first place.
One has to ask the question why do these keep being ignored or, at best, often paid lip service to?
Common pitfalls in change programmes
Change is hard
Don’t kid yourself, it needs carefully thinking about. The engagement has to be genuine and that can mean recasting the strategy when you find good reasons it won’t work. That takes time, and for busy senior people who want to get things done, it can feel very frustrating. But, and it is a big but, without that engagement even with best idea and processes, your people will undermine the change. It probably won’t be wilful but it will happen.
Cultural alignment
How you and your organisation do things – your culture – really does matter. If what people see “management” doing contradicts where the change is heading, the failure will be spectacular. And worst of all you might not even notice. We often hear, “we explained it,” “it was really clear” – however, is what you are doing day to day really aligned? And often it is very small things that people notice, and that’s what knocks things off track.
Measuring progress
You might well say, “we always do ‘things’”. And, of course, that is generally true. Ask yourselves, are you doing the right things? Will what you are doing get you to where you want to get to? Have you got enough granularity to know how well things are progressing? Yes, the big goal is where you are heading, but what are the indicators along the way that tell you things are moving forward? A good number of those need to be people measures.
JA Consulting’s approach to change
As consultants who help change happen all the time these are the three key areas we focus on. We believe that some independence and challenge can make a significant difference.
Building a Strong Case for Change
At JA Consulting, we drive sustainable change at pace, ensuring that change is embraced and empowered by the organisation itself. Our approach involves engaging leadership, building a strong case for change, and creating tailored implementation plans.
Engaging Leadership
We engage the senior team with deep dive workshops to ensure they’re all driving in the same direction on the same track. This unified leadership is crucial for successful change.
Tailored Implementation Plans
We turn the vision into practical steps and create bespoke and tailored implementation plans. This ensures that the change is not only launched but also made a reality and sticks for the long term.
Focus on People
Our methodology is built on 35 years of making change happen at pace across a range of environments. By focusing on people and providing the necessary tools and support, we help your organisation achieve lasting success.
Change is hard, but with the right approach, it can be successful. By focusing on engagement, culture, and execution, and by leveraging the expertise of consultants like JA Consulting, you can make change happen and make it stick.
Need help with making change that lasts?
At JA Consulting, we specialise in not just any change – we engineer transformations that truly resonate with your organisation. Those elusive changes that you’ve known you needed, but somehow always slipped through the cracks. The kind of change that once implemented, leaves you wondering how you ever managed without it.
Why wait? Reach out to us today, and we can show you how to deliver lasting change that sticks.
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Our mission is to make your change management journey easier, smoother, quicker and more sustainable.
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