We have made it to the end of the first quarter of 2016. This is a time at which we can reflect on the months that have past, find points of improvement and aspects to maintain. In this article, I have aimed at finding sources of inspiration that may help us, not only to analyse our performance, but more importantly to boost our results. So here they are:
4 Reasons to Embrace Millennial Values in Change Management
Pratik Dholakiya explores the the 4 reasons embrace the Millennial Values in Change management.
- Start with yourself – The writer explains that “Millennials are open and flexible.” They have the ability to talk and are open to change. The first step is with yourself – be open to change and be convinced that the change is what the company needs. As they say: “You can’t sell it outside if you can’t sell it inside.”
- Make the change stress-free – The secret to making the change stress-free is to use the technology that is at our disposal; platforms such as WalkMe or Changefirst are just some of the available tools to alleviate stress. And who understands this better than Millennials?
- Prepare for the worst – Sadly the Millennial generation is all too familiar with the saying; “Expect the best, prepare for the worst.” This is a generation who in their formative years received the best tools and had almost unlimited information at their finger-tips. Now they have begun working only to discover how difficult it is to find a job and a career path. Due to this, they now know how to adapt or if need be or even to change their plans. Change Managers would do well to learn from them – Prepare for the worst.
- Have an insatiable wanderlust – Lastly, but most importantly, Generation Y has a wonderful sense of curiosity and a genuine desire to explore and experiment. Success in Change may involve taking risks, and the Millennials are not afraid to take the necessary risks.
Maintain Momentum of Software Efficiency and Performance Through any Change Management Decision
Culture Is Not the Culprit
A fascinating piece from The Harvard Business Review by Jay W. Lorsch and Emily McTague. Many of the difficulties we are faced with in Change Management are based on cultural differences; or so we assume. This brilliant piece refutes our basic understanding, that culture is the problem, and in its place argues that culture is in fact an outcome. The writers support their opinion quite beautifully by enlisting the views of various, successful business leaders such as Doug Baker the CEO of Ecolab, Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO, Alan Mulally who heads up Ford and Dan Vasella who in 1996, was named chief executive of Novartis – a company which eventually became the largest producer of pharmaceuticals in the world. A must read!
Managing Change: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Jeffrey S. Nevenhoven’s article in Industry Week explores the importance of leadership in Change. This is a value whose importance I have always stressed. The text explains the challenge of a drop in employee motivation, and the steps a company must take in order to remedy this. The writer emphasises the need to reinforce employees understanding of “what’s in it for me”. (WIIFM) Heed the mistakes listed this article and implement strategies to avoid them.
Successful Movements All Have 3 Acts
Another article on leadership. However, this time the article I have chosen from Nancy Duarte it is from a different viewpoint. The writer researched the 3 stages that every successful movement goes through on its way to realising its goals.
Through the examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs, she explore the 3 steps of Change that an organisation must go through. The dream and leap of faith, the struggle and finally, the destination. These phases also apply to Change Management; so be brave and take that leap of faith.
5 Reasons Why Most Change Management Initiatives Fail
Bill Hogg explores the 5 reasons why many Change Management initiatives fail.
- Lack of urgency: Creating a sense of urgency and communicating WHY change is necessary is essential to get people motivated to actually change and get on board.
- Lack of vision: Once you are clear on the root cause for change, leaders need to have a vision for of the end game they want their organization to achieve.
- Engage your team: Even the strongest leaders can’t do it alone. You must identify others across the organization who are equally committed to the end result.
- Courage to remove obstacles: More often than not, leaders fail to remove obstacles that prevent the organization from taking the next step in their evolution.
- Lack of systematic planning: Real transformational change is a process that takes time. It won’t happen overnight, and it’s not a simple initiative. Leaders must have a systematic change framework to guide the change process with both a short and long-term view.
Definitely worth a read!
What’s Gone Wrong with Change Management?
Despite being familiar with many of the ideas in this article, there was one aspect in particular that blew me away. The idea to “give team members ownership over the process.” Now, this is a great idea in theory, my thoughts on implementing it would be along the lines of incentivising and giving individuals responsibility of a sphere of the area of change.
They would be tasked with additional research on their given area and then, in turn, they would share their area of expertise with the rest of the team. The spheres within the team would overlap, making the team better off to adapt. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this though.
Change Management Influencers You Absolutely Need to Follow on Twitter
My own personal article of the month: The who’s who of Change Management. These are the Influencers one needs to keep up with in order to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in Change Management. Some incredible people on this list who are constantly sharing thought provoking ideas. Not to be missed!
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