Change Management Tips, Quotes

change management

Change is the only constant in the world. Since the world is changing fast, it is crucial for organizations of different sizes to adjust to the changing environment. In a business, change doesn’t happen immediately. Rather, it occurs as a process. The organizations that adapt well to the ongoing changes thrive better than those that do not.

Change management is a systematic approach followed by businesses to deal with change. The purpose behind change management is to improve the organization. A project manager examines, analyzes, and assesses the proposed change and its impact on the project before actually going ahead with its implementation. The prime goal of change management is to minimize distractions, remove risks, and improve performance.

“The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress” – Charles Kettering

Change Management Quotes

1.       Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future – John F. Kennedy

2.       Your success in life isn’t based on your ability to simply change. It is based on your ability to change faster than your competition, customers and business – Mark Sanborn

3.       Change before you have to – Jack Welch

4.       To fear change is to fear being challenged. To fear being challenged is to fear growth and possibilities. –Ty Howard

5.       It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. – Charles Durham

6.       To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. – Winston Churchill

7.       We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that we created them. – Albert Einstein

8.       If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results. – Jack Dixon

9.       Progress is impossible without change & those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

10.   Change is the process by which the future invades our lives. – Alvin Toffler

Change Management Tips

change management 2

"Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have—and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up." – James Belasco

1.       Don’t resist: Change is inevitable. Resisting or refusing to accept change will not stop it from happening. Such a response is not productive. So you must learn to accept it. The quicker you accept change, the smoother it will be to transition.

2.       Be aware of the ripple effect: One key element in the change management process is to look out across the organization to see how the change will affect people and processes. Ask for people’s input. Ensure that you clearly understand the full impact of the transition before you go ahead with the next step of implementing the change.

3.       Be proactive: Clearly communicate the expected change to everyone on your team. Anticipate how your team will react to the change. By being proactive in your approach, you can plan your response to the expected points of resistance from your team. What are their fears/ apprehensions? Remember, the key reason for resistance is the fear of change. But once they get settled into a routine, they will find it easier to work out things and the adaption process will become smooth.

4.       Ask yourself productive questions and take control:  Are there any questions with regard to change? If yes, try to find answers to these questions.  Do you need to make any schedule changes to accommodate the change? How can you facilitate the transition? Ask yourself productive questions so you have the answers ready when the change is initiated.

5.       Involve others in the decision: When change is imposed on people, they may find it hard to accept. But when employees are involved in the process, they are less likely to exhibit aggressive resistance. Letting them share their opinions will give them a feeling that they are being heard and are part of the change initiative.

6.       Convince employees that change is necessary: Accepting change is difficult for everyone, and employees are no exception either. In fact, employees find it harder to deal with change since they have settled into routines. As change requires them to come out of their “comfort zone,” they are most likely to question, “Is change necessary?” It is critically important to convince them that change is indispensable and will bring positive results. Try to demonstrate the advantages of the shift in strategy through a presentation – something that will have a direct impact on them.

7.       Stay true to the effects of change – Never package a negative change as one that would bring positive results. State the facts clearly, without playing with words or trying to portray a rosy picture of things when the reality is different. Acknowledge that it is hard to accept but the circumstances demand change. Always be available to answer questions. It may help to have a projected growth plan handy to convince staff that efforts are being made to get better results. This may give them a better hope for future.

8.       Delegate effectively: While employee involvement is crucial part of the change management process, it is important that they are assigned with tasks that would convince them to make their little contributions toward the end goal. Sharing the burden with employees would make them more responsible and encourage them to accept the transition. It would help greatly to inspire your employees to think like entrepreneurs and share the burden and responsibilities, making them feel integral to the success and growth of the organization.

9.       Follow through: Once the tasks have been delegated, ensure that the expected changes are implemented.  Follow through to ensure that the changes are fully and properly implemented and not left unfinished. However, you may still want to be little flexible to modify your strategies, if the need be.

10.   Don’t get too comfortable: Familiarizing yourself with change is essential, but that does not mean you should get so comfortable that you start feeling that things will not change further. It would be a grave mistake to think that the change will last forever.

Change Management Software

1.       Change management coach: The easy-to-use change management application comes with an array of free tools and information so you can become an effective leader of change. Learn the special skills needed to make manage change easy, fun, and successful and take your enterprise to the next level.

2.       Kotter’s options for change: Learn how to implement change powerfully and successfully with Kotter’s 8-step change model. Create urgency, form a powerful coalition, create a vision of change, communicate the change, remove obstacles, create short-term wins, build on the change, and anchor the change are some of the key steps of the Kotter’s change model.

3.       Alison Diploma in Change Management: This free online course is designed to help you learn the basics of managing changes in documents, processes, and equipment for small and large business owners. You will also get to learn about a range of tools and processes that facilitate change implementation across an organization. The course will help you improve your skills to adapt to change.  

4.       Lewin's Change Management Model: Understand the three stages of change using the change management model designed by Lewin and learn to manage different aspects of the process.  This simple, easy-to-use model spells out the three stages of change and helps you plan the implementation process.

5.       Kurt Lewin Force Field Analysis change model:  Implement changes quickly with the Kurt Lewin Force Field Analysis, which helps you understand what will drive change in the behavior of a specific group. The Force Field Analysis was designed to weigh the forces that drive changes and affect changes in an organization.

6.       Change StakeHolder Analysis: It’s easy for users to track, control, and implement change by first identifying, assessing, and managing the stakeholders of change. The tool makes it easier for you to identify the stakeholders that will be impacted by the change and who can stop or promote the change.

7.       Change Scout: Successfully manage each aspect of your change program with this change management software. Easy to access anywhere, Change Scout comes with fast configurable tools.

8.       Change management tutorial series– Based on the 2003 benchmarking study on the Best Practices in Change Management, this tutorial series is all your need to learn how to manage change effectively, so you ensure that change remains a priority and can contribute to success.

9.       Change tracking survey: Follow this simple approach to change management and manage the change control process seamlessly.

10.   SpiceWorks 5.0:  A free change management solution, SpiceWorks 5.0 offers users the ability to easily track and manage changes, generate quick reports and logs, and change priorities.

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