Change management models

How do they help in the current climate?

Change management models featured in this site:

Kurt Lewin - freeze phases

Force Field analysis -[Kurt Lewin]

Kubler -Ross - change roller coaster

ADKAR - the Prosci change model

Kotter - 8 guiding principles for change management

Beckhard - the change equation

Bridges - navigating the transitions of change

Longaker - the 4 major phases of change

Conner - the do's and dont's of ongoing turbulence

An introduction to change management theories

Here is a brief introduction to the main change management theories mentioned above.

Maturity models

In most organisations the evolution of project management, programme management and change management skills typically lags far behind the development of other capabilities within the company. So the state of maturity to a large degree reflects the prevailing dominant corporate culture.

Where you and your organisation sit on these maturity models is one of the key factors in leading change that will determine your chances of success.

Project management maturity model

Cultural maturity model

Change management maturity model

Business process maturity model

The people aspects of change is the overwhelming issue

Change management models have clearly evolved from the days of Kurt Lewin's freeze phases model which was very much a product and reflection of the industrial age - with the emphasis on command control imposed from the top down.

Similarly, even Michael Hammer - the arch proponent of the process led approach to change and business improvement - revised his opinion.

"I don't regret saying anything; it's more what I left out.

In particular, the human side is much harder than the technology side and harder than the process side.

It's the overwhelming issue."

[Michael Hammer "Re-engineering the Corporation"]

So even Hammer recognised that the people aspects of change are "the overwhelming" issue!

Since Kubler Ross, the concept of an emotional journey through a recognisable path of reactions and responses has been recognised and factored in to many modern change management models.

Psychological impacts of change and managing the transitions

William Bridges has taken this a stage further with his model that focuses on transitions and the psychological impacts of organisational change and that speaks of developing a culture that embraces change.

Clearly people react at different paces and levels to change and whatever change model is adopted, this needs to be given serious attention.

Many of the more recent change management models place great emphasis on the need for determining the need for change, articulating the desired future and the use of some form of transitional model.

In my opinion it is William Bridges - who recognises that it is people who have to carry out change and with his clear emphasis and understanding of what change does to employees [and what they do to the organisation] - who really was the first "management guru" to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization.

So in my view, any change management models theories or concepts that directly address the people issues, has particular resonance and practical relevance in the current climate and adds values to our understanding of strategies for managing change.

The programme management based approach to change

The programme management based model that I have detailed in this site addresses all of these critical areas by focusing on a

holistic approach that takes full acount of the people issues

The programme processes of establishing a blueprint of the changed organisation, with clearly defined benefits of change and thorough attention to the stakeholder mapping and analysis will facilitate the creation of detailed communcation strategy that addresses key stakeholder concerns.

Learn HOW TO APPLY this in 8 FREE Introductory Lessons - HERE

How to use change management models

"One key reason why implementation fails is that practicing executives, managers and supervisors do not have practical, yet theoretically sound, models to guide their actions during implementation.

Without adequate [change management] models, they try to implement strategies without a good understanding of the multiple factors that must be addressed, often simultaneously, to make implementation work."[Fevzi Okumus]

Relationship and positioning of major change models

Change is a messy business fraught with complexity, multiple factors and many things that can, and usually do, go wrong. There are 3 broad areas that need to be included in any successful change initiative, namely:

• Leadership that directly addresses the transitions and emotional dimension of those impacted by the change, and provides inspirational motivation
  
• A change model and methodology that covers the multiple factors that must be addressed
  
• Action management that shows and assists people with the specifics of exactly what is required of them

All of this is addressed and fully explained in the "Practitioners Masterclass" which takes a holistic view of the key areas and shows you how to put all this into practise.

In the "Practitioners Masterclass" we review the established change management models and comment on strengths and weaknesses and the relationship of the model to the holistic view.

We challenge assumptions and explore the 3 major criticisms of most change management models.

We outline and explain a change model, and change methodology that:

• Bridges the gap between the high level "big-picture" strategic vision and a successful implementation at the front-line
  
• Addresses the necessary but ignored areas within the existing change management models
  
• Is broader in scope than the typical "project led", "task oriented" approach
  
• Addresses the human factors and deals directly with the commonest causes of failure

And all of this is examined, co-related and integrated with the other key areas leading your people through change, putting it all together and managing the whole messy business.

Further resources

Change management methodologies

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