An introduction to Change Management

In this article, we’ll take a look at what change management means, why it’s important and how to effectively navigate change within the workplace.

What is change management?

Change management is an enabling framework for managing the people side of change. It is aimed at bringing about organisational change, transforming businesses and their teams from their current state to a desired future state efficiently and effectively. It involves identifying the need for change, logistically planning its execution, and equipping people with the right skills and tools to sustain change long after its implementation. Change management also considers how people and processes will be affected by change and what steps need to be taken in order to adapt them. Ultimately, successful change management involves embedding change into the fabric company culture to ensure sustainable growth in the long term.

Why is change management important?

Effective change management helps to deliver positive reactions to change. As humans, change isn’t easy for us. It can often trigger behaviours and reactions linked to feelings of surprise, lack of control and uncertainty. We interpret this ‘social pain’ in our brains in the same way we interpret physical pain. Change management provides people with the right information and tools to tackle change, turning resistance into understanding and acceptance, all whilst successfully delivering expected results and outcomes as well as some unexpected benefits.

What are the roles of employers and employees in change management?

Managing change isn’t always an easy task, but creating the right balance between those leading the change and those who are affected by it is essential to success.

During a change management process, both employers and employees play equally important roles to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.

The role of employers

When it comes to leading a company-wide change, employers are usually in charge of the process. Employers will be the people who will identify the need for change, plan the process and deliver the ultimate outcome.

To make the change as seamless as possible, the first step is for employers to put together a clear plan with specific goals. Leaders should explain why the changes are happening and keep employees updated throughout each stage. Offering support, such as training, tools, and ongoing help, can make the adjustment easier for everyone.

Employers should get employees involved in the process from start to finish, involving them in planning and decision making, in order to make the transition smooth. Not only this, but employers should keep an eye on progress and make any tweaks needed as they go.

The role of employees

Employees also have a big part to play in change management. Being open to change and willing to adjust work habits is important for the process. They can offer valuable feedback on how the change is affecting their work, helping improve the roll out of the change.

Employees need to stay engaged during this process, actively participating in training and new initiatives. Working together with colleagues and management to implement the change will make for a successful transition.

Adaptive changes vs. transformational changes

There are two types of change that can happen within a business: adaptive and transformational.

Adaptive changes are small, fine-tuning adjustments to the way a company works. These changes are usually carried out in small increments over time, refining existing methods that a business uses. For example, this could mean amending workflows slightly to improve efficiency, or trailing out different ways of working to see what fits best.

On the other hand, transformational changes are bigger, more structured shifts that change how the organisation operates as a whole. These changes often involve drastically altering the company's direction, structure, or even the culture. For example, this might be expanding a company on an international level, or changing everything about a product that the company produces.

Change management on a project level vs. an organisational level

Change management can be specific to particular projects within a business, or affect the entire organisation on a broader scale.

Project-level change management targets specific initiatives with a more focused outlook. The change is usually limited in scope and affects a smaller part of the organisation. This type of change only affects one element of the business, making it easier to manage and implement.

Organisational-level change management involves larger, strategic shifts that affect the whole company. This deals with changes that affect the entire organisation, often impacting all departments, processes, and even the company’s ethos. For example, an organisational-level change could be a company-wide restructuring or shifting to a remote-work model.

What is the outcome of good change management?

The outcome of good change management is simply achieving the initial goal that you planned for in the early stages, whether that’s adapting workflows for the better or successfully rolling out a bigger, more permanent company-wide change.

Employees and teams will now ideally adapt to changes with minimal disruption to their daily work. New processes, technologies, or structures are quickly and effectively embraced by the people involved. Employees feel supported, informed, and more engaged throughout the change process, meaning everyone is on board. With proper support and training, employees can maintain or even enhance their performance during and after the change.

The benefits of the change (like increased efficiency, better customer service, or cost savings) will now be sustained over time. Successful change management strengthens trust in leadership and promotes a culture of adaptability and resilience.

What is the role of change management within workplace transformation?

Implementing a new workplace strategy and design is one of the most visible expressions of change an organisation can make. Whilst a new work environment can be a driver for increased collaboration or productivity, realising the full benefits will require your people’s attitudes to shift and their behaviours to change. That's where change management comes in.

The aim of change management within workplace transformation is to shape people’s expectations to match their new environment before they experience it. Whilst an office relocation or redesign can be perceived as a ‘step change’ (described as a significant change that allows positive transformation or growth to take place), people adapt their attitudes and behaviours slowly and incrementally over time. You can think about change management a bit like an iceberg. It tackles the stuff below the waterline, the deep-rooted values, beliefs, and assumptions. It tackles perceptions you can't see, which many organisations find difficult to address.

By having a change management process in place, steps can be taken to motivate, educate and prepare people for change. It’s easy to assume that individuals will automatically adapt to their new workplace. However, many will resist change, and those that do adapt to the change, may not change in the way that you'd hope. In essence, change management is your ultimate risk mitigation tool.

What are some common misconceptions?

1. Change management is just project management

The difference between change management and project management is in how each are managed. Project management is all about technical changes and focuses on achieving specific objectives within a defined programme and budget. It has well documented guidelines, follows a linear timeline and manages the activities of a project to meet specific goals and requirements. Change management, on the other hand, is all about the hearts and minds and aims to support individuals in transitioning from a current state to a desired future state. It has no specific guidelines, follows a much less structured timeline, and manages the impact of change resulting from organisational or project developments.

2. Change is a single event

Change is a transition and, contrary to popular belief, it starts with an ending. It requires saying goodbye to something we know before something new can begin. We typically use the Change Curve (Kübler-Ross, 1969) to help describe this experience of transition.

3. Change management can wait to the end of project

Change management is often thought of as a final implementation step to get to the finish line. However, change management should be proactive: a plan for the plan. It should be implemented and integrated from day one as soon as a direction or future vision for the workplace has been decided. By engaging stakeholders upfront, valuable feedback can be implemented throughout the creation of a new workplace strategy and design.

What does change management at Peldon Rose look like?

We first need to determine the level of change effort required for each client. The extent of change needed varies from organisation to organisation depending on several variables. We look at current conditions, needs, resources and attitudes of the organisation. Once we have a clear understanding, we like to think about change management as a three-part, project integrated process. All three are crucial to success, otherwise you run the risk of disengagement and frustration.

Motivate. Why should your people care?

This part is all about demonstrating why and what is changing. If the why message isn’t clear, you’ll struggle to get people onboard.

Educate. How can your people do it?

This part is all about helping people understand how to change. Equipping them with the right tools to prepare.

Sustain. How will your people make the change stick?

This part is all about living the longevity of change. You can find out more about the three-part, project integrated change management process in our guide on how change management can help overcome business challenges.

The change management checklist

1. Identify the need for change
The first step in change management is to identify a need for improvement and what exactly needs to be changed.

2. Establish a clear plan
Work out how you’re going to achieve this change. Set clear, actionable steps and objectives to get there. Then, develop your change management strategies.

3. Involve your employees
Make sure employees are in the know. Explain why, when and how the change will take place.

4. Distinguish between adaptive and transformational change
Understand which form of change management you’ll be enforcing: is it incremental and adaptive, or will it completely transform your organisation?

5. Monitor your progress
Keep track of what’s working well and what isn’t. Make small changes over time if things aren’t working to ensure the best outcome possible.

6. Sustain
The final step is to have regular check-ins with employees to understand how the change is affecting them, what could be improved, and ensuring that the change is ingrained into your company culture.