Organizational Change Management

People are a company’s greatest asset and investment for the future, which is why organizational change management—the mobilization of intelligence and the human dynamic—must be the backbone of all project management and transformation initiatives. A lack of understanding and buy-in for change can lead to a project’s failure, but with effective organizational change management, it’s possible to guarantee, and even potentially accelerate, the implementation of transformation projects.

Organizational change management is a collective effort. Leadership must be united around a common understanding of the company’s needs and vision, as well as the scope of the desired target. They are the ambassadors who drive change and commit to the project to enable its ultimate success.

Here are five key steps to a successful organizational change management plan:

Ensure comprehensive and regular communication through all available channels to raise awareness of the project. Make any relevant documents or publications available to all employees.

Work publicly. Encourage stakeholder inquiries and interactive brainstorming. Hold meetings out in the field and conduct participatory workshops to analyze the situation on the ground.

Go above and beyond to ensure all individuals share a feeling of buy-in and commitment to the project. Do this by putting individuals in charge who believe in the project and giving employees the opportunity to participate in the collective construction and evaluation of the related implementation plan.

Consider handing over control to allow teams to find their own solutions and enable themselves to move forward, organize a structured training, or create an action plan—thus giving individuals the tools to change their own work practices.

Get feedback on results and use it as a critical driver for consolidating change. 

Wavestone uses core primary ideas and tactics when managing resistance to change in an organization. They include:

Like anything, our approach to creating an organizational change management plan is founded on the simple fact that every client’s situation is unique, meaning that solutions must be tailored to fit the issue at hand, the client’s culture, and the current needs of the client’s digitalization maturity. Wavestone clients also benefit from exclusive resources that aid any client through their organizational change management journey, including:

By relying on our toolbox, our plans propose dynamic methods through either face-to-face or digital channels to ease co-construction and feedback. The Creadesk combines tools and methodology and provides a team dedicated to supporting our clients to stimulate creativity and bring ideas to life.

We have a community of experts committed to the development of innovative change management. This community, The Faktory, uses processes, formats, and animations to come up with “test and learn” approaches with proofs of concept, digital solutions that foster real transformation, and people-first protocols.

Our certified training team has a proven track record in training methodologies and extensive knowledge of digital tools. Through blended learning (both digital and face-to-face training) and process expertise, we can design an organizational change management plan, implement and adapt new training according to your business needs, and guide your change management journey to success.