What is Change Management (PDF inside): Types, Principles & Importance

Change management has become one of the most significant factors for success in the bureaucratic paradigm of the modern world.

The project development process and all the other factors related to the project are not that stable and have to be changed every so often because of the shifting requirement of the market.

That’s why project managers have to organise a process of change management in their development strategy to ensure that it can handle any changes that come in the way of their development process being a success with ease.
Change management requires a proactive approach to anticipate potential changes, analyze their impacts, and implement strategies to adapt quickly. By having a flexible change management process in place, project managers can minimize disruptions, increase efficiency, and ultimately achieve project success.

It is crucial for project managers to continuously monitor and evaluate the progress of their change management initiatives to ensure that they are effectively addressing dynamic market conditions and stakeholder needs. In today’s fast-paced business environment, the ability to effectively manage change is a key determinant of long-term success.

Definition of Change Management

Change management is the systematic approach which deals with the transition or transformation of different organisational objectives, processes, core values, or technologies.

From a project manager’s point of view: Change management is the process that is used to get approval for changes to the scope, timeline, or budget of a project.

From an Infrastructure Professional’s point of view: change management is the process for approving, testing, and installing a new piece of equipment, a cloud instance, or a new release of an application.

Types of Change Management

Most modification in organisations is a developmental or temporary change, and, though important, without the shifts of mind and culture, implementing radically unique structures, systems, processes or technology rarely produces the required return on investment. Many large IT implementations are styled as temporary, but they fail because to get the true value involves an ethos and culture change, it requires people to share information across boundaries, or transform the power bases of group: and this just does not exist.

Types of change management comprise two criteria:

1. Individual
   • Exceptional Change Management
   • Incremental Change Management
   • Pendulum Change Management
   • Paradigm Change Management
2. Organisational
   • Evolutionary Change Management
   • Revolutionary Change Management
   • Directed Change Management
     1. Developmental Change Management
     2. Transformational Change Management
     3. Transitional Change Management

Individual Change Management

Exceptional Change Management:

In ‘exceptional change management’ an individual practices an isolated event in their life, it causes a difference, it may be necessary, but it does not spill over into other parts of their life, so the impact is accordingly limited.

In other words, exceptional change management involves a specific and contained adjustment that does not have a significant ripple effect on other aspects of one’s life. This type of change is usually more temporary and focused, impacting only the specific area where it is implemented.

Incremental Change Management:

Incremental change refers to a fairly common change experience for many people. Often unseen at first, there is a persistent, continuous introduction of factors and ‘uniqueness’ that it may result in the complete reinstatement of a previous state with a new one, but the insidious nature of the change means that defences to secure the old way are never triggered.

This gradual shift in circumstances can lead to a feeling of disorientation and confusion as individuals try to make sense of the evolving situation. While the changes may seem small and insignificant on their own, they can accumulate over time to create a substantial transformation. It is important to carefully monitor incremental change and adapt strategies accordingly to ensure smooth transitions and positive outcomes.

Pendulum Change Management:

This type of change management followed by an individual, when there is a turn, often sudden, from one state to another. This ‘pendulum change’ can cause a human being to adopt quite an extreme point of view that can be the diametrical opposite to what was held to before.

Paradigm Change Management:

The fourth type is the one most usually considered as being ‘appropriate’ change and is called a ‘paradigm change’. This takes place when information, tasks and behaviours are re-integrated and lead to the development of a new gestalt that is a new ideology and value policy. It is regarded as the ‘gold standard‘ for individual change because when the value policies of an individual are changed, the change is fully internalised and future performance and approaches can be predicted with some efficiency.

Organisational Change Management

Evolution Change Management:

Evolution change management experienced by organisations by far is evolutionary change. Evolutionary change has been around since organisations of people appeared. It is evolutionary because it arises through the process of natural selection: it is necessary when modest variations in performance, tiny adjustments in response by people and groups take place in a changing environment.

Some results from this type of change will be irregular and irrelevant; some expand as a continuous series of often minute impacts that change what people do, how organisations react, and with, gradually. As per biological evolution, most changes are too small to notice, though when reflected on subsequently, the distance travelled may be important.

Revolutionary Change Management:

Revolutionary change is the change by instruction. You will often see this type of change in reaction to a leadership change or an emergency. As examples: a new CIO comes in and reorganises the department, or the IT department fails an examination.

We experience the revolutionary change when organisations have change forced on them by external forces – sometimes welcome, mostly not. Large power shifts typically accompanied this type of change, and occasionally the impact may be fatal.

Directed Change Management:

This type of change management was uncommon in the early 20th century but it has become increasingly common in organisations over the past 70 years. We consider it as ‘directed’, ‘organised’, or ‘managed’ change because it is formed to achieve a specific purpose. Making this type of change happen requires moving the management and workforce and the organisational culture into change with the plans, structure, processes and systems to achieve the appealing vision.

There are three types of directed change management:

1. Developmental Change Management: In this change management system, the business improves what it is currently doing: enhancing existing skills, processes, practices, operation standards or conditions are all developmental changes.
2. Transformational Change Management: It is partly for this reason that the programmes and the programme management disciplines were improved. As with delivery so with acceptance of the change – through a vision and an approach are fundamental, the actual change process, the sequence and composition and timing of changes will be figured out less by planning and more by the rates at which the underlying beliefs and value systems change.
3. Transitional Change Management: transitional change leads to the replacement of what already exists with something different that is treated as ‘new’ by the people involved. For the change to happen, people have to emotionally let go of the old way of performing, leading to the need for the organisation having to break up the old while the new state is being put into place.

Principles of Change Management

Successful change management depends on four core principles:

1. Understand Change.
2. Plan Change.
3. Implement Change.
4. Communication Change.

Let’s explore these along with some tools and techniques that you can use to put them into operation.

1. Understand Change

To strongly promote the benefits of the change, you need to figure out them yourself. So, think about:

• Why do you need to change? What are your key objectives?
• What will the benefits of the change be to the organisation?
• How will it affect people positively?
• How will it affect how people work?
• What will people need to do to manage the change successfully?

It can also be important to think about what the negative results of not making the change would be. Beckhard and Harris’ Change Equation explains that, for change to work, there has to be enough discomfort with the old way of doing things. People should feel confident that the new approach will be better – and that there’s a straightforward way to get there.

2. Plan Change

Effective change doesn’t just appear by chance, and any plan you make should be right for your business. How change projects are managed can vary from organisation to organisation. Some have very definite change procedures, while others are more visible and flexible in their approach.

However, you’ll need to consider:

• Sponsorship: How will you secure, undertake and use high-level encouragement and sponsorship of the change?
• Involvement: Who is best positioned to help you design and execute the change? For example, will you need outside expertise? Or can you use domestic resources?
• Support: Change is most efficient when you can win support from people across the business. How do you plan to achieve this?
• Impact: Finally, think about what success should look like. How will you predict and assess the impact of the change that you need to make? What goals do you need to achieve?

3. Implement Change

As we’ve seen, there are many strategies that you can choose to put your change into practice. For example, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model explains how to inject a sense of urgency into your actions so that you build momentum and inspire everyone to get behind your changes.

Meanwhile, the Change Curve evokes you to be mindful of people’s feelings while putting your plan into operation. It shows the stages that we all go through during organisational change – from shock and denial to fully investing in the fresh approach.

The following steps can help you implement change positively:

• Ensure that everyone involved in the changes understands what needs to happen – and what it means for them.
• Agree to the success criteria of your changes and make sure that they’re regularly measured and recorded.
• Map and identify all the key stakeholders that will be involved in the change and set their level of involvement.
• Identify any training needs that must be discussed in order to implement the change.
• Hire “change agents,” who’ll help to put the new practices into place – and who can act as role models for the fresh approaches.
• Change people’s habits, so that the new practices become the norm.
• Clarify that everyone is supported throughout the change process.

4. Communicate Change

Communication is a very important component of change management. The change that you want to achieve has to be clear and appropriate, so people understand what you want them to do and why they need to do it. But you have to set the right mode so that you get the emotional reaction you’re expecting for.

It’s a good idea to identify the changes that you’re planning to your organisation’s mission or vision statements. Not only will this help people to see how the change positively affects the “bigger picture,” but it will also provide them with an exciting, shared conception of the future.

Also, be sure to practise good Stakeholder Management. This will assure that you give the right people the right message at the correct time to get the help that you need for your project.

The ADKAR Change Management Model is a useful tool that you can use to help communicate your change. It describes five things you should try in your communications:

• Awareness of the need for change.
• Desire to take part in and support it.
• Knowledge of how to change.
• Ability to change.
• Reinforcement to sustain the change in the long session.

Change Management Pdf Download

Importance Of Change Management

 Ease the Pressure and Create a Simple Process

Change can take place in an organisation in some ways – strategic, leadership, or technological changes. In recent years, companies are seeing change management play a significant role in implementing new technology. Many people worry that as technology advances, it will take over the workplace. This often causes a struggle to change in firms looking to implement new technology. By encouraging employees to better understand change, you create a system that is more open-minded and free to change. Change management can help ease this pressure and create a simple process.

Maintain Your Organisation’s Time and Resources

Change management is a proper way of communicating with employees. It tells them why change is happening, what it will sound like for them, and how it will finally contribute to them in the end. Keeping employees learned from the start helps ease the transition and minimise the time. Also, if employees are more open to change, they will be more interested in making it happen. When employees are more interested, the transition can take place more quickly and ultimately maintain your organisation’s time and resources.

Create a More Versatile and Innovative Workplace

By opening this line of communication in your organisation, you fix a standard. With time, this will build up the trust your employees have in the firm and the decisions top management is making. Ultimately, people fear the exotic. Having a strategy in place can help to reduce, if not wipe out, that fear. Setting a standard for change early on and managing consistency can help create a more versatile and innovative workplace.

Conclusion

Change, once viewed with apprehension, can become a catalyst for growth and progress with a strategic approach to change management. By understanding the human element and implementing a well-defined plan, organizations can navigate transitions smoothly and unlock the potential that change offers. Remember, change management isn’t a rigid one-size-fits-all process. It’s an ongoing journey of adaptation, requiring flexibility and a commitment to continuous improvement.

As you embark on this journey, prioritize clear communication that addresses concerns and fosters a sense of ownership. Equip your team with the resources and training they need to thrive in the new normal. Finally, celebrate milestones and acknowledge the collective effort that drives successful change.

Change, though sometimes daunting, presents an opportunity to build resilience and agility. By embracing a proactive change management strategy, organizations can not only survive in today’s dynamic landscape, but thrive in the face of future challenges. The choice is ours: resist the inevitable current or leverage its power to propel us forward.

Terms Related to Change Management

Project Management

The primary challenge of it is to obtain all the project objectives within given constraints. The primary constraints are time, budget and opportunity. The secondary challenge is to optimise the quota of vital inputs and apply them to meet pre-planned objectives. The major focus of project management is to create a determined project that complies with the client’s objectives. Once the client’s objectives are clearly set, they should affect all decisions made by other people engaged in the project. Read more>>>

Resource Management

In the last few decades, resource management has turned into a very crucial part of modern business structure. This area is mature. A bunch of novel ideas has been introduced ever since it started growing. Resource management has come out as an independent discipline after organisations became complex with a matrix structure and extended in various geographies. Read more>>>

Human Resource Management

In human resource management, human resource (HR) managers take on a range of roles, including bringing in and retention of quality employees, supporting participation, managing conflict, and even working with leaders to set the purposes of an organisation. HR management professionals bring enormous value to their organisations with advanced skills in mentorship and teaching, and by offering other kinds of professional support besides dealing with benefits and social opportunities. Read More>>>>

Stakeholders

Stakeholders can be internal or external to an organisation. Domestic stakeholders are people whose responsibility in a company comes through a direct relationship, such as employment, ownership, or investment. Extraneous stakeholders are the persons who do not directly work with a company but are affected anyhow by the activities and outcomes of the business. Suppliers, creditors, and public groups all are considered external stakeholders. Read More>>>