Like death and taxes, change is an inevitable part of life. And how an organization navigates these choppy waters can be a dealbreaker.
Do it well, and you’ll minimize disruption and seize any opportunities that come knocking (remember, not all change is bad). Make a mess of it, and you’ll miss out, fall behind, or worse, end up on the rocks. So, how do you manage change to make sure it goes off without a hitch?
With a change management plan.
Change management is a process that helps organizations understand how to navigate change effectively. And one of the most important aspects of change management is the plan document. But what is it? And how do you create one? We’re here to help…
The definition may seem obvious, but it’s worth being clear. In business, change can mean lots of things: a new product launch, an acquisition or merger, a rebrand, a relocation of your premises, or a shift to remote work. The list goes on.
Change can be internal — like a new process or way of work — or external — like a change in the marketplace. It can be planned (we’re implementing a new CRM system in three months) or unplanned (a global pandemic throws our business plans into disarray).
In every case, though, it’s vital to have a plan that sets out how you’re going to manage the transition and ensures everyone is aware of what’s happening, when it’s happening, and what they need to do. That’s where change management comes in…
In short, change management is the process of managing change within an organization. But it’s not just about making changes; it’s about doing so in a way that minimizes disruption, maximizes efficiency, and keeps everyone on board.
Think of it this way: if your company is a ship, change management is the process of keeping it sailing smoothly through choppy waters. And just like a ship needs a map to stay on course, an organization needs a plan to manage change effectively.
A change management plan is a document that outlines how an organization will manage change.
This can include everything from small changes, like adding a new employee to the payroll, to large-scale changes, like moving the company’s headquarters.
It covers every little detail — from outlines of the change plan to task assignments for each stage to implementation guidelines. Just like a map that guides you to your destination, a change management plan outlines how you’ll navigate through the change and the aftermath. And just like any good roadmap, a change management plan should be clear, concise, and easy to follow.
A change management plan helps organizations manage change effectively. By outlining the hows, whats, whys, and whos, you can ensure everyone is on the same page and keep disruption to a minimum.
There are a number of different change management processes out there to make transitions easier. Here are the most popular:
As you can see, there are a wealth of options. Choose the one that best fits you and your team, as well as your project. Or try a blend, as we’ve done below with our tips! When it comes to change, the more you structure it, the smoother things will be.
Creating a change management process is relatively simple. Just follow these steps:
Let’s go into each of these in a little more detail.
The first step is to identify the necessary changes. This can be anything from adding a new vending machine to the breakout area or rebranding to introducing new tech or moving the company’s headquarters. Be as specific as possible when identifying the changes on the way.
Once you’ve defined the scope of the change, you need to identify who will be affected by it. This is known as a stakeholder analysis and should include everyone from senior managers to front-line employees.
Who’s doing what? Nurturing a sense of personal accountability is important when it comes to organizational change. With so much going on, you need everyone on the team to know exactly what’s expected of them. As project manager, you have to clearly identify who will be responsible for making each change and make sure they’re empowered to do so.
Once you’ve identified the scope and responsibilities, the next step is to develop a timeline for implementing each change (here’s a free project timeline template). This will include deliverables and project milestones and act as the heartbeat of the project, driving you forward.
Budget forms one-third of the triple-constraint triangle. So, if you’re a project manager, you’d better be sure you have it under control. Change is a project like any other, and it’ll almost certainly incur costs. Set a budget for your change. This will help ensure you have the resources necessary to actually implement the changes.
If you aren’t measuring success, how do you know the project’s over? Make sure you have a process in place for documenting your achievements beyond the timeline or Gantt chart. This can be anything from customer satisfaction surveys to financial metrics. By determining how you’ll measure the success of each change, you can confirm whether your change management plan is achieving the desired results. Change can also be challenging and stressful, so celebrate your wins!
Jargon, messy documents, convoluted processes — no thank you! When you’re creating a change management plan, pay attention to form as well as content. Are your documents organized coherently and easily accessible? Have you checked your spelling and grammar? Did you use diagrams to visualize data where possible (it’s much easier to take in data when it’s presented as an image)? Is everything written in plain language? These things matter.
It’s important to review and update your change management plan on a regular basis to make sure it’s still relevant and effective. The best way? Create the document in your project management tool. Then, you can store everything in a single repository (a.k.a. a single source of truth).
Your change management plan should include the following documents:
Alongside these formal documents, your change management plan should include/address:
Some tips to guide you:
Look for a project management tool that offers a way to:
Change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it has to be chaotic. Armed with an effective change management plan (and some good collaboration tools), you’ll be able to navigate even the most challenging of changes with ease. Good luck!
