Managing Change - Get it Right

In any event, getting the process right is a vital component. The credibility of the change managers will be scrutinised closely enough on the issue itself, with all processes in place. If process is at fault too, then things can get very messy indeed.

Legalities

Legalities of how you are dealing with people issues must be resolved first and a clear understanding of HR technicalities requires the right level of expertise. Within this are elements of fairness, consistency and honesty. Although subsets of the well-researched HR framework, they save a lot of time, energy and emotion if considered in advance and protocols carefully positioned.

Timescales

Appropriate timescales in changing people issues, will need to be carefully dealt with as part of the HR overview, but it can be easy to slip. A good way to work is using a simple project management process for the whole event, working for as far back as week ?12 to week +12 and setting this into a spreadsheet or a Gantt Chart.

Check and Check Again

This will give everyone a clear view of how the process will work and what needs to be done when. Time taken in this planning stage cannot be overdone and the change management team will need to work in a focused way, to deliver a credible plan. Double-check that everything has been thought of, because it probably still won't have been.

Co-ordination

If multi-site, this all needs to be co-ordinated on a macro level with each site working to the same plan.

Purpose

The point of delivering a coherent and researched plan is not simply for the protection of the organisation. It is much more efficient and enables the organisation to recover more quickly after significant change has happened. Individuals, too, are protected technically and it is possible to have as good as and even better relationships with the individuals concerned, when they are dealt with fairly and openly.

Managing change to involve your people and treat them as well as possible is a doable process. It is the role of management to manage and get it right first time - it's what they are paid for. Then successful outcomes will result and the organisation can move on from a potentially challenging time.

Copyright 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

In The News:

---

Check Your Communication Skills

Use this check list to assess your communication skills.Focus* Do... Read More

The Dark Side of Help Desk SLAs

You just signed a Help Desk Service Level Agreement (SLA)... Read More

Jack Welch--Success Is Getting Back Up on the Horse

A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend... Read More

Transform Any Business into a Go-Getting Power House by Working SMART

Probably as well known as SWOT, SMART turns goals, objectives... Read More

Innovation Management ? some ideas are better than others

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Managing Change - Get it Right

In any event, getting the process right is a vital... Read More

Building Bridges of Communication

Building a 'bridge of understanding' between parties is... Read More

Innovation Management ? Reducing Hierarchy

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Motivation and Management Layers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

The Dripping Faucet in Every Organization

Each day millions of workers spend 8 hours or more... Read More

5 Ideas To Leverage The 3 Stages Of Career Development In Your Organization

In most industrialized nations, the average age a student graduates... Read More

Organisation Tips For The Mobile Executive

Despite the fact that everyone sighs "How glamorous!", the life... Read More

What is the Most Difficult Part of an Improvement Program?

Answer: Starting one.Most of us realize that there is probably... Read More

The Changing Boss-Secretary Relationship

THE CHANGING BOSS-SECRETARY RELATIONSHIP: Imagine a partnership at work. One... Read More

Outsourcing NOT Just for Big Business

Outsourcing has become a controversial issue and a hot topic... Read More

Executive Humor at Meetings

I don't encourage managers to wear funny hats, appear in... Read More

How to Reduce Temporary Employee Turnover

The use of temporary services to stock a farm of... Read More

Executives and Emotional Self Awareness

A major problem impairing an executive's performance is his Emotional... Read More

CEO: The Key To Fix ingThe Marketing/Sales Collaboration Problem

We all know that achieving better alignment, synergy and cooperation... Read More

Preparation: Your Companys Best Defense in Case of Catastrophe

You've hung out your shingle and are ready for business.... Read More

Inventory Management 101

Inventory management may seem complicated to some, but if one... Read More

Lone Rangers Suffer without Tonto

A lone ranger is someone who prefers working in solitude... Read More

Time Management - How to Have Productive Meetings

One of the greatest time wasters of all are unnecessary... Read More

The Top 5 Signals That Your Business Is Running You

Starting your own business is a great undertaking but running... Read More

Is Your Brain Getting the Memory Full Message? 5 Ways to Free Up Room on Your Brains Hard Drive

Lynn was tapped to head up the project team for... Read More

What 80% of Businesses Don?t Know: Tips for Improving Your Working Capital Management

What is the number one way to prevent failure in... Read More

Innovation Management ? how will we make the go or kill decisions?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

I Am Not A Number - Why Too Many Change Projects Fail

Many of you will recognise this quote from the 1960s... Read More

The Narcissist in the Workplace

To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary... Read More

Time Management Tip: Stop Micro-Managing Employees

If I was a fly on the wall what would... Read More

Motivation - You Get What You Reward

There's a programme currently running on BBC Television in the... Read More

Attract and Retain Positively Great Employees - An Action Plan for Employee Training

Everyday a business owner, CEO, or manager somewhere is complaining... Read More

Dividing The Loot

It is when the going gets better, that the going... Read More