From Idea to Execution: A 9 Step Approach to Managing Change

Change is messy. It's a pipe dream. It's a scribble-scratch drawing on notebook paper. It's a well-intentioned story filled with alphabet soup. It's an uncertain future with an even more confusing reality.

It's also an opportunity. A chance for growth. A reset button.

Change is difficult. There will never be a potion to cure every ailment but what I discovered is a structured method to managing change. And that's where the magic exists.

The Change Management Activity Model shown above was first developed by the Prosci organization in 2003. The intent of the model is to create a comprehensive view of change management activities during three major project phases: start-up (planning), design, and implementation. Each box in the grid provides specific actions and steps completed by change leaders.

We all know that a strategic approach looks great on paper. But in practice, things don't always fit so nicely into the buckets we've created.

One item quickly stood out to me in the research. Change leaders were asked to identify the most important activities they'd recommend completing to improve the odds of success. The most commonly cited start-up activity included communication. Establishing a communications plan, defining what involvement would look like, listening to all levels, being explicit about deliverables - those items rose to the top of the list.

So no matter where your project or team currently falls on the matrix, there's always one item you can assess: your current communications. What's the current flow of messaging? What's the tone? What's missing? How can we improve?

You will never regret focusing on your communications when it comes to managing change.

MM