HOW TO
SUCCESSFULLY
MANAGE CHANGE
OSU/OKC
November 18, 2008
What is Change Management?
A systematic approach to dealing with change,
from the perspective of both the organization
and the individual. Change management has at
least three different components:
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adapting to change
controlling change
effecting change
Bill Gates said “In three years, every product my
company makes will be obsolete. The only
question is whether we’ll make them obsolete
or somebody else will.”
Statistics About Change
15% achieve their objectives
 20% fail to achieve all objectives but
determined to be satisfactory
 65% have unsatisfactory results
Most significant change fails to meet the
expectations and targets of management.
Top management is frequently unreasonable in
its expectations
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Why Change Fails
The #1 reason change fails is
FEAR
How to Succeed at Change
The #1 thing to remember to make change
succeed is:
COMMUNICATION
Reasons People Resist Change
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Self Interest-they believe they will lose
something of value
Misunderstanding and lack of trust-they do not
understand why this is happening
Different assessments-they see different
costs/benefits
Low tolerance of change-they fear they do not
have the relevant skills
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We do not agree on the problem-individuals do
not see the need for change the same way
We do not agree on the direction of the
solution-individuals see different solutions
We do not agree the proposed change solves
the problem-disagreement on whether the
proposed change will solve the problem
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The proposed change might work but will
create other problems
There are huge obstacles to implementing the
change
Unverbalized fear
What Organizations Didn’t Do That
Caused the Change to Fail
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Were not clear about the reasons for the
change and the overall objectives
Failed to move from talking to action quickly
enough
Leaders not prepared to change management
style required to manage the change
Organization had too many “goals” at one time
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The organization is not prepared
Little regard to the overall business and did not
plan for the “trickle down effect”
Leaders set the direction for the change and
then left it to less motivated people to
implement
Made it a “surprise”
Didn’t do enough to resolve uncertainty
Insensitive to employees feelings
How to Reduce Resistance to
Change
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Communication-clear two-way approach with all staff
Start with a good idea-have a good, well-thought out
concept
Obtain staff commitment-involve staff in both the
ideas and implementation stage
Provide sufficient resources-people, time, money,
skills, etc.
Have a plan-look ahead and allow flexibility
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Take into account the needs/attitudes/beliefs of
the staff
Be aware of WIIFM—What’s in it for me?
Provide clear and specific information on the
change
Educate and communicate
Participation and Involvement
Negotiation and Agreement
Manipulation and Co-optation
Explicit and Implicit Coercion
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View change as an opportunity, not a threat
Treat your staff like your customers
Involve others in the decision making process
Say it once, say it twice, say it again
Validate the feeling of employees
Anticipate tomorrow
Let go of the past
Train the staff
Be a behavior model
What Leadership Must Do
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Believe the change is necessary
Be pro-active
Convince people undergoing the change that the
change is necessary
Tell staff how the change will affect them as
individuals
Tell them early, tell them often
Be honest
Utilize management processes and skills
Conclusion
The four main steps to successfully implement
change:
 Propose the change
 Summarize the impact of the change
 Make a decision
 Implement the change
AGAIN, THE KEY IS COMMUNICATION
References
Brownell, Eileen http://www.shoh.org
Dwyer, Kevin Palmer, Jonathan http://www.projectsmart.co.uk
Haughey, Duncan Palmer, Jonathan http://www.projectsmart.co.uk
Maisey, Paul http://www.leadershiptipsandtrauma.com
Okoro, Samuel http://www.projectsmart.co.uk
Palmer, Jonathan http://www.projectsmart.co.uk