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Part 1
Figuring It Out
All change projects require you to move people from how they currently think and act to new ways of thinking and acting. The underlying rationale for change must be that it will lead to better performance, but this starting point is rarely enough for people to make them change. They are usually set in their ways and need to be constantly motivated and supported in order to take on new ways of working. Inertia is a human, perhaps all-too-human, part of our DNA, and this needs to be acknowledged before it can be overcome.
There are many factors to consider as you assess the scope and magnitude of your change project. Often, change leaders make commitments regarding a big organizational change before doing their homework. They don't spend enough time understanding where colleagues currently are and where they need to be. Comparing these two positions will give you a sense of what needs to change (mind-sets, behaviors, skills, processes, and systems), how big of a change is required, and how difficult it will be to make. In total, assessing all of these aspects of your change project will give you a sense of exactly what you have been asked to do.
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The Plan![]()
Chapter 1
What Do I Bring to the Project?
Begin with your strengths.
âAzim Premji
Often, people become paralyzed by the magnitude of a big change project regardless of the role they've been given, be it executive sponsor, project manager, or project team member. They compare the project goals with the status quo, become anxious, and allow comments like âWe've never done this beforeâ or âIf we don't do this, we won't reach our annual financial goalsâ to fuel doubt, fear, and panic. Before this happens, think of what you can draw upon to help the organization make the change. You were chosen for your role because you have skills beyond the obvious ones that connect you to the project (e.g., being a manager in a Finance department undergoing restructuring). Based on your initial briefing, what past experiences, knowledge, skills, and relationships are relevant to the project? Taking stock of what makes you the best person for the job will focus your energy and build confidence. You may be surprised by how much you have to offer and how these abilities will benefit you over the course of the project.
Thumbs Down, Thumbs Up
In 2005, the Swedish Road Administration (SRoA) and County Administrative Boards (CoAs) initiated an e-service project to automate probationary driver's license applications. The two government agencies were responsible for different steps in the process, which citizens found confusing. The project provided the opportunity to standardize processes across the nation's 21 county offices, and automating it through one website was deemed a good solution.
The project manager had no public e-service experience and very limited IT knowledge. He also did not have many contacts within the 21 county offices, making it difficult for him to facilitate consensus on common criteria for judging applications. As well, he had difficulty convincing office managers to follow the proposed launch schedule, and this slowed down the transition process. The project was completed in 2007, a full year after its original deadline.
In 2009, Merck & Company acquired Schering-Plough Corporation for $41 billion and became the world's second-largest pharmaceutical company. The Merck & Company CEO appointed his head of global marketing to lead the integration. The new project leader said, âI remember going home that night and taking out a blank sheet of paper and saying, âWhat do I do tomorrow?ââ
1 He reviewed his network and reached out to peers who could guide him in areas he was less familiar with (e.g., supply chain, research and development, regulatory, etc.), including contacts at Schering-Plough, with whom he was involved in a joint venture in 2004. He also hired specialist consultants to coach him on aspects of the merger in which neither he nor his team had any direct experience. The merger was successful, with 16 of 20 top markets integrating within six months and 8 of the top 10 products growing through this period. He was soon promoted to a more senior position as president of Merck's global human health business.
What Works
- Note the colleagues you know in the areas of the business experiencing the change. They will give you insider perspectives on needs, concerns, and cultural norms.
- Think of what you have in common with the impacted groups. Personal credibility and trust is important when supporting teams through change.
- Review what projects you have worked on and what you learned from them.
- Read past performance appraisals and record the skills and capabilities you have been recognized for. Ask peers to add to your list.
- Think of the project managers you have worked with and what skills and behaviors they demonstrated. Which ones contributed to (and detracted from) their performance? Why? Meet with these project managers to get their views on what worked and didn't work.
Identifying the unique experiences, skills, and behaviors you bring to the project is the best way to start building a plan to successfully manage your role. Draw upon these assets as you develop a deeper understanding of your project (and what has to be done to make it successful).
Notes
1 Ashkenas, R., Francis, S., Heinick, R. (2011, July-August) âThe Merger Dividendâ, Harvard Business Review, p. 130
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Chapter 2
How Do I Identify What Needs to Change?
If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior.
âKatharine Hepburn
Any big change will affect how people do their work, encompassing their attitudes, behaviors, processes, roles, the people they interact with, and the software they use. A critical initial step is to thoroughly map out what needs to be different for the change to be successful. This will give you a sense of how difficult your change project will be for individuals and teams to adopt.
Status quo work environments have nuanced codes of conduct that often go unnoticed unless you dig deeply to find them, and eliminating some of these ways of working can be as important as starting new ones. It's critical not to underestimate the changes required. Your assessment will directly affect the resources needed to implement change, and misestimating the resources required will lead either to a mid-project request for additional funds (not pleasant) or an understaffed implementation (not wise). Moreover, missed requirements will distract and frustrate your team because they come as a surprise, and might put in question the quality of your plan, or, even worse, your leadership.
Thumbs Down, Thumbs Up
The Canada Firearms Registry was established by the federal government as a response to a wave of gun-related crimes in urban centers across the country. In 1996, the Canada Firearms Centre was created to oversee the administration of the registry. Its mandate was the mandatory licensing of gun owners and the registration of all firearms by 2003. The stakeholders most impacted by the legislation weren't sufficiently consulted, and this resulted in a backlash from many farmers, hunters, and members of gun lobby groups, who attempted to sabotage the new registry and legislation.
The project plan did not anticipate the number of design changes needed to existing databases or the changes to processes and software upgrades to federal and provincial departments connected to it. Also, it did not account for the skills required to fill out the registration form, resulting in a high level of error. Ninety percent of the submitted forms required follow-up, and the agency staff had to be expanded from a handful to 600.
The success of the registry itself is debatable, but the success in implementing it is not. A large system project predicted to cost taxpayers $2 million (after registry fees) ballooned to $1 billionâa 50,000 percent cost overrun. On November 1, 2012, it was announced that all data held within the registry, other than from Quebec, had been destroyed.
When Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury, a project team was set up to create a new innovation process, with members from both companies and all regions invited to join. As the new process developed, team members provided feedback from their business areas, and discussed all ideas raised. The final version of the innovation process included the best elements of both legacy processes. It was shared with the regional leadership teams to ensure that no perspectives had been missed before it went to the global leadership team for approval. The project leader understood that all groups working with current processes were needed to define the change and make it successful.
What Works
- Identify the attitude and mind-set changes firstâthey are often the hardest to identify, most difficult to address, and take the longest time to implement.
- Focus on detailing the behaviors that need to change for each level and department. Behavior changes are the most visible signals that new ways of working are taking hold, and they can generate tremendous momentum.
- Assign a âhigh,â âmedium,â or âlowâ rating for each change, to determine which changes require the most adjustments and which groups will be most heavily affected.
- Engage people early in the assessment process so that they feel part of the initiative and take ownership of the change processâcolleague inclusion and participation is essential for successful change projects.
- Test your evolving hypotheses with leadership team members. Their reactions will help you connect the dots and create an overall storyline.
- Review skill gaps, which can be contentious, with department leaders to ensure that they are dealt with. âFromâ and âtoâ charts (see below) are helpful because they provide visual representations of gapsâfor example, selling skills.
Capability Gap Analysis
| From | To | Capability Gap |
| Selling individual product promotions to achieve a defined volume target | Selling a cluster of different product promotions with volume and profitability targets | Commercial math, analysis, forecasting |
- In addition to department changes, document and assign people resources based on changes that affect multiple departmentsâfor example, a forecasting process that receive...
