The old adage, ‘change is hard’ rings true to many project managers. This might be the current mentality of many people in your company. But change does not have to be hard. If change is consistently for the better, then you and your team will come welcome these types of transition projects and you can help build a better performing company – together.
How can one gain momentum within your company for change?
The first step for any project that will involve many people is to involve these people in the process. Inclusion is a must. Feedback and ideas need to be heard and addressed, by individuals and teams. If people are a part of the change process, then the likelihood of success is much greater – since they had a say and a hand in the design and implementation of that change.
How can the transition for change be put into action?
Once ideas have been solicited and collected, primary issues should be sorted initially. As smaller issues are dealt with one by one, this will lead to a stable feeling amongst the project and its stakeholders. Change doesn’t happen all at once – so don’t try to force it through.
What is the difference between ‘fixing’ and ‘improving’?
Program management tools and teams that identify and catch issues that are categorically ‘broken’ will need to fix them. Sometimes things that are categorically ‘working’ might still need improving. The difference is important in project management terms. Fixing and improving are both fundamental aspects of any good project as the business requirements are slowly met through the delivery of new systems, aps, software and infrastructure.
It is common practice to move forward immediately with what needs to be fixed, and then focus on improvements secondly. At that point, you will have buy in and support from your teams. This is the best way to have your group behind you for future changes, since they will be noticing changes for the better and process improvement overall. With this positive feedback, they will be on board for additional future changes.
When changes guarantee improvement, everybody wins. Work with your team, employees and stakeholders to make change projects a welcome process for your company. Think “win win” every time.