What is change management?

What is change management?

Change management can be considered as a structured approach to moving ahead of the team and organization from a current state to a selected future state. This process is designed at helping the organizational team in dealing with changes, both from individual and organizational levels in their current working environment. Organizational management can take action to influence the team in the transitions in order to support them in reaching the desired future state.

History of change management

When considering the beginning of the change management concept, it goes back to the early to mid-1900s. Until the 1990s that change management became well known in the business environment, and formal organizational processes became available in the 2000s.

 

 

 

1940 - Kurt Lewin’s 3-step model for change was established. 

1962 - Everett Rogers’ book Diffusion of Innovations was published.

1979 - Bridges’ Transition Model was developed.

February 1995 - The first State of the Change Management Industry report was published in the Consultants News. 

2016 - The Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) announced a new certification to enhance the profession: Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP).

Reasons for organizational change 

There are many external and internal environmental reasons for organizational change. 

External factors of organizational change

•    Challenges of growth, especially in global markets
•    Economic downturns and tougher trading conditions
•    Technological changes
•    Competitive actions and pressures including mergers and acquisitions
•    Change in customers’ demand and tastes
•    Government legislation, initiatives, and policies
•    Political drivers and changes in government ideologies

               

 Internal factors of organizational change

 

• Change in strategy
• Need to learn new behavior and skills
• The arrival of new personnel or the emergence of a new outlook
• Low performance and morale
• Innovations in new products and service design and delivery

Why organizations need change management

 

Changes are happening in every organization and new initiatives, projects are launched to enhance the performance, profits and competitive advantage. 

 

• Succeed in an ever-changing world

Organizations are facing faster, complex and more cross-functional changes every day. Applying change management strategies enables organizations to succeed in the ever-changing world.

• Close the gap between requirement and results

There is a gap exists in an organizational changing scenario between requirement and results, outputs and outcomes, solutions and benefits. Change management help to close the gap effectively.

• Mitigate Mission-Critical Risk

The people side of change generates excessive risk and cost. Projects are subjected to “RE” costs like the redesign, rework, revisit, redo, retrain, re-scope, and in some cases, retreat. Change management is the discipline to help mitigate those mission-critical risks.

• Take the Chance out of Change 

Changes in organizational practices is difficult and needs to remove the chance of variability connected with change by providing employees with the preparation, support, and skills they need to succeed in change.

References

Posci, n.d. What is change management. [Online] 

 Available at: https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/what-is-change-management

Posci, n.d. Definition of change management. [Online] 

 Available at: https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/change-management-definition.[ Online]

Perkins, S. and Arvinen-Muondo, R. 2013. Organizational behaviour.People, Process Work and Human Resource Management.. 1st ed. London: Kogan Page