Implementing change: a leadership checklist

Introduction

This checklist provides an introduction for anyone planning to implement change within the organisation. It covers any type of change programme, and aims to support the planning process by covering the basic building blocks of change.

Change is often considered to be an integral part of the management agenda, whether driven by external forces such as economic or market trends, or internal forces, such as those accompanying a total quality management programme. The pace of change may vary and be to some extent controllable within organisations, but the extent of change in the outside world is a factor which organisations need to monitor, and often respond internally.

Change is sometimes described in terms of a consequence of the interaction between equipment (technology), processes (working procedures), organisation structure and people. A change to one of these four elements will inevitably lead to changes to the others, because the organisation is a linked, evolving system.

Definition

Managing change involves accomplishing a transition from A to B and seeking to handle the problems which arise in getting there.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines change as "making or becoming different". While this is vague, most management dictionaries do not attempt to produce a more precise definition.

Action checklist

1. Think the change through

Read a book to give you some help with the issues involved in tackling change management. For example, John Kotter's "A Force for Change" or Rosabeth Moss Kanter's "The Change Masters". Reading a book will take a day or two--the change process itself will take longer, and require much investment in cost terms--especially if you get it wrong.

Ask what kind of change may be involved from a broader perspective. Will it include job content, responsibility, new--unknown--tasks, new methods of working, new skills, new relationships, threats to security, new training, retraining?

Will it be something that involves re-thinking what the purpose of the organisation is, or should be?

2. Build the change culture

Build commitment by:

• sharing information as widely as possible
• allowing for suggestions, input and differences from widespread participation
• breaking changes into manageable chunks and minimising surprises
• making standards and requirements clear
• being honest about the downside.

Develop a culture that supports change by:

• recognising prevalent value systems
• creating a blame-free culture of empowerment and pushing down decision-making--but clarifying decision boundaries
• breaking down departmental barriers
• designing challenging jobs
• freeing time for risk and innovation
• focusing on the interests of all stakeholders.

Get the people right by:

• recognising staff needs and dealing with conflict positively
• being directional without being directive
• involving everyone
• earning commitment and trust
• developing relationships
• understanding how teams work
• recognising one's limits and others' strengths.

3. Appoint a 'champion' for change

Change programmes benefit from having a lead person to galvanise the plan and the action. His or her credibility will be of paramount importance, as will sufficient seniority, and a proven track record. The change leader should be lively, energetic, passionate and committed: if you are not the right person to be leading change, recognise it at the start, and seek the right support!

4. Build the right team for change

Select a team with a mix of technical competencies, personal styles, and levels of seniority. Most members should be respected individuals from within the organisation, not outsiders. You need 'movers and shakers' whose commitment is not in doubt, but temper the mix with a few known cynics. All should have earned respect within the organisation and be widely trusted and credible.

5. Build the case for change

Develop an outline of what the organisation will look like at the end of the change programme. Include structures and culture: will you move from a hierarchical to a team-based culture? What will the implications be?

You might know why the organisation needs to change, but you will need to persuade others of the urgency of the need. Draw up a clear case which marshals quantitative and qualitative arguments, spelt out in terms of business objectives. Link these to a vision of where the organisation will be if change is successful.

In reality, persuading people of the need for change is a complex, sensitive business which can appear odd if it comes 'out of the blue'. It may be useful to bring someone in from the outside to act as a catalyst but this needs to be managed with care and sensitivity.

Changes are best owned by the people implementing them, so it is most practical to get a group of staff to identify the change factors for themselves, so that they see and understand the need for change.

A health-check of the key factors in mapping change includes:

a) Leadership--does the leader set an example and foster learning and development?

b) People--do people think naturally about what's coming next? Or will the next change be met with the same old shock and horror?

c) Control--do measurement and procedural control stifle creativity?

d) Integration--do we have a business of people in separate boxes or do we mix across areas and responsibilities?

e) Processes--which are the key activities that give us our strength?

6. Define the scope of change

To be successful, a change programme needs the right scope. Define its coverage and limits rigorously. To be fully effective change needs to operate in six areas:

• markets and customers
• products and services
• business processes
• people and reward systems
• structure and facilities
• technologies.

7. Draw up an outline plan

Plan for change in the way you would for any major project. Cover:

a) Vision: what is the 'big idea' behind the change? What is the organisation striving to achieve? This must be clear and compelling.

b) Scope: what needs to change if the organisation is to realise its vision?

c) Time frame: what will change when, and in what order? Radical change takes time, especially if attitude change is involved.

d) People: who will be most affected by change and how? Who will play prominent roles in implementing change (the change agents)?

e) Resources: how much will the change cost? Will there be offsetting benefits?

f) Communications: will you need new mechanisms and structures to communicate with front line employees?

g) Training: have you allowed for the training of managers and front line employees in both hard and soft skills associated with change?

h) Organisation structure: will changes be needed, for example towards a flatter structure?

8. Cost the change programme

Change is costly, particularly when it is associated with plant closure or redundancies. Recognise this and draw up a separate budget. Don't underestimate the 'softer' costs of training, or the communications the programme will require.

9. Analyse your management competencies

Senior managers need to be fully committed to change programmes to guarantee their success. Establish from the outset whether the management team is signed up to change, and address honestly the position of those who are not enthusiastic supporters. Make sure that senior managers are included amongst those consulted when proposing change factors.

10. Identify the driving and restraining forces

In any organisation, there will be forces driving and forces restraining change: you need to identify both sets. Plan to reinforce the drivers, or add new ones; and to weaken or lessen the restraining forces, through education. This will usually be a slow process, but it can be helped by frank discussion, and even more by positive success.

11. Outline the change programme to line managers

Use your plan to outline to line managers the likely impact of the programme on structures, people, processes and products. Seek criticism and feedback and use them to refine the plan and build consensus in favour of change.

12. Communicate

Communication is the key to successful change. Communicate continuously with Stakeholders--employees, customers, suppliers and owners--as you plan and build the programme. Be open and honest with employees about the likely extent of change. Don't allow rumours to circulate: be frank.

13. Identify change agents

Although change is usually initiated from the top, and led by a change team, it has to be driven through the organisation by change agents. These need to be the organisation's own employees, not external consultants. Select people who are committed and enthusiastic, and who can command respect. Plan to train them to help in leading and cascading the change programme throughout the organisation

Managers should avoid:

• thinking small: many change programmes fail to deliver the expected results because their ambitions are too narrow, or not radical enough
• failing to take account of external stakeholders: tap the views of customers, suppliers and other stakeholding groups as well as those within the organisation
• expecting rapid change--be patient and persistent, as change takes time
• underestimating the cost of change: build in costings for repeated communications and training efforts
• embarking on a major change programme without the absolute support of the top management team
• bulldozing through resistance to change--instead listen and persuade.

Additional resources

Books

Change management: a critical perspective, Mark Hughes
London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2006

Sharing knowledge: the why and how of organizational change, Francois Dupuy
Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2004

Change management excellence: using the four intelligences for successful organizational change Sarah Cook, Steve Macaulay and Hilary Coldicott
London: Kogan Page, 2004

Managing change changing managers, Julian Randall
London: Routledge, 2004

This is a selection of books available for loan to members from the Management Information Centre. More information at: www.managers.org.uk/mic