LeftField - news in project management
www.project-management.com.au
Welcome to the latest news and views from LeftField Project Solutions.
The complexities of change can feel rather like eating an elephant. Where to start? How to avoid bellyaches? Will I get trampled?
Did you know that projects with excellent change management effectiveness are nearly six times more likely to achieve their project objectives, be on time and on budget, than teams with poor change management? (Prosci Benchmarking Study, 2009)
Effective change management improves business outcomes by:
- Increasing the speed of adoption of change
- Increasing proficiency in the “changed” state
- Minimising negative impacts on business culture, staff and/or customers
- Maximising uptake of change e.g. number of staff following new procedures etc.
Poor change management can be like the elephant in the room – no-one wants to talk about it or even acknowledge its existence!
This was the problem in a recent merger of two major institutions, which saw the two IT departments absorbed into one. The only change management process was to change the reporting lines. The department merger was not formalised as a project and there was no business sponsor to be accountable for effective integration. This meant issues of different cultures, different processes, different IT systems, different support protocols etc were not addressed.
The end result? Chaos, low morale, duplication, disengagement, interpersonal difficulties, low customer satisfaction and lots of other problems.
The key is to integrate organisational change management activities with projects. How?
Here are our Top 5 Tips:
- Establish a small set of clear and agreed goals for the project (one is fine!)
- Ensure visible and active sponsorship (usually required from more than one role/individual)
- Build and maintain advocates (yes, it’s those “middle managers”!)
- Plan for the change early in the project (a proactive approach, not reactive)
- Understand that change is about engaging and enabling people (plans and processes are not the end point)
LeftField Project Solutions is currently working with several Tasmanian clients who are investing a lot of time and energy integrating change management into their projects. They are assessing the risks associated with specific projects and using change management tools and techniques to incorporate pragmatic, useful activities into their project plans.
Prosci’s® ADKAR model is an effective framework for understanding change at an individual level. The model can be extended to help us understand how we can increase the likelihood that our projects will result in sustainable change. ADKAR identifies five elements that must be in place for a change to be realised.
Awareness of the need for change.
Desire to support and participate in the change.
Knowledge of how to change.
Ability to implement required skills and behaviours.
Reinforcement to sustain the change.
LeftField Project Solutions is currently designing a new workshop focussing on the application of change management to projects. We have noticed a growing need for project managers and change managers/coordinators to increase their knowledge about change management and if/when/how they can apply it to their projects. The design of the workshop is a classic “off the side of our desks” project (i.e. what we do in our spare time), so there is no timeframe yet for delivery. Watch this space.
Are you interested in participating in a pilot for this workshop? Email us to register your interest.
We recently held another Project Management Extension Workshop in Hobart, providing experienced Project Managers with an opportunity to further develop their skills.
Here is some of the feedback:
“Loved the practical tools”
“Extended my insight into developing my communication and interactions with stakeholders.”
[Aspects of the workshop I found least useful:] “None – for me to make this statement is quite amazing!!!”
See upcoming events for further news on our training programs.
We're all ears (just like the proverbial elephant!)
You’ve heard from us - we’d love to hear from you! Tell us about your experiences and insights. We also welcome any suggestions for topics you would like covered in future editions.
About us 
LeftField Project Solutions is a boutique Tasmanian firm of project practitioners who have complementary skills in the area of project management. Our firm comprises three principal consultants – Bronwyn Cross, Lea Symonds and Sharyn White - combining strong technical knowledge with leading-edge expertise in people management.
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