Change management is the process of using a change management toolkit and techniques to implement changes in the human resources of an organization so as to achieve a business target. Change management is making use of tools to impact change in the people in an organization.
This management toolkit indicates the steps that an organization needs to go through when going through a change process. The change management toolkit assists the organization to map out its progress as well as ensure effective change management in the organization. The toolkit has many parts. They include the templates to assist with planning and assessment tests to evaluate progress. It also has guidelines that can be used to construct executive support and manage any challenges that can arise in the change process.
Advantages of a Change Management Toolkit
There are many benefits to making use of a change management toolkit in an organization. The toolkit helps the organization to enact change in the human resource. This helps the process of change to span both the business and people sides of the organization. The management toolkit also helps the organization to develop a strategy for the change project. By doing this, the toolkit assists the managers of the change process to come up with an effective plan. The toolkit also assists in creating a plan through which the change process can be communicated throughout the organization. The toolkit also assists the managers of the change process to manage any challenges that can arise in the change process. A change management toolkit has many parts in it.
Change Management Overview
This is an element of the change management toolkit that assists the participants of the change management process to understand the process, its importance and how to manage the change effectively. In the overview, the participants learn that change management has two perspectives.
There is the perspective of the managers enacting the change and the employees accepting the changes. The two perspectives of the change can also be described as organizational and individual change processes. By going through this overview, the participants of the change understand their personal perspective as well as the necessity of the change. The overview assists the employees understand that the managers and executives are interested in seeing immediate results. On the other hand, as a result of the overview, the executives are able to understand that employees need to be shown the value of the changes.
Assessments
These are techniques and tools that are used by the change management managers to check the progress of the process. They are an important element of the change management toolkit. There are two main types of change managementtypes of change management assessments. These are an assessment of the change process and an assessment of the organization. In assessing the change process, the assessment analyzes the scope of the process. This checks the divisions, departments and enterprises where the change is going to be implemented. Also, the depth of the change process is checked too. This is where the number of employees involved in the change is taken. Moreover, in assessing the change process, the type of change is analyzed too. The change can be technological, strategic or involve a merger.
On the other hand, when assessing the organization, there are various aspects that are checked. These include the major characteristics of the organization. These characteristics determine the complexity of the change process. The characteristics involve aspects such as the organization’s corporate culture as well as its value system. Another characteristic is the organization’s ability to change and speed of changing. Also, the leadership styles used in the organization as well as power structure are important characteristics to consider when it comes to change management.
Templates
These are predefined plans that assist the managers of the change process to execute it successfully. These templates are an element of the management toolkit that help the managers to perform various tasks within the change process. These tasks include a request for change that is accomplished through a Request for Change template. Examples of other templates are the change record template and the change classification templates.
The change records template uses information from the Request for Change template. The change classification template assists the change managers to rate a change in the organization. The change can be rated as low, normal, high or critical priority. Another template is the C.A.B. Agenda template. This template analyzes and indicates all changes that require assessment by the Change Advisory Board (C.A.B.). it also indicates any updates on the Forward Schedule of Change (F.S.C.). An F.S.C. Checklist is also one of the templates in a change management toolkit. This template is used to record certain information. This is information such as description of the change process, a list of all changes made, the people in charge of the change process as well as the time period of implementation.
Theories
These are discussions on the various perspectives of change in an organization. These discussions feature principles that are followed while conducting a change management in an organization. There are a number of principles for this. One of these is that the change process should be implemented systematically in the human resource of the organizations. The process should also start with the top management and flow downwards to the employees. In addition to that, the change process should also involve every level of the organization. The change process should be promoted and supported with a formal memorandum. Thus, any employee can refer to it and understand the reasons for the change.
Change Management Process and Customization
This is another element of the management toolkit. In this element, all the other elements are combined with other skills such as coaching, training and effective communication skills. In this element, the three main phases of the change process are re-examined and further implemented. The first phase is preparation for change. In this phase, the organization develops a strategy and assesses itself.
The second is managing the change. In this phase, there is planning as well as implementation of the change management. The third is reinforcement of the change. In this phase, there is collection of information, correction of any errors in the change process as well as evaluation of the entire process. Organizations are run and function in different ways. As such, there is room for customization in the change management toolkit. The managers of the change process can fine tune their change management to fit their organization.
Conclusion
Change management is very important in an organization. It helps an organization to embrace change and also to identify a competitive edge. Moreover, change management increases the success rate of an organization. By making use of the change management toolkit, an organization can successfully implement change in its business activities as well as its human resource.
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Tristan Ovington
Tristan Ovington is a professional senior writer and journalist, specializing in providing expert insights on various topics such as digital adoption, digital transformation, change management, and Cloud apps. He delivers his knowledge through accessible online content that is data-driven and presented in a friendly tone, making it easy for readers to understand and implement.