“I’ve got an army of Change Managers, yet change is still so difficult.”
“The project team said everything was in great shape when they handed over, but performance has dropped.”
We hear this a lot. You probably do too, or you’ve felt it.
In today’s competitive and uncertain world, everyone is changing all the time – yet few organisations feel that they do it well. It’s widely accepted that between 70-80% of change programs “fail,” at least the first time.
These days, our ability to change faster and more effectively than our competitors is what gives us the edge. So how does an organisation become “good” at change?
Since 2015, Change Synergy has partnered with Deakin University to research how organisations are undertaking change today.
Our research shows three areas are often lacking:
Strong change leaders role model desired behaviours, demonstrate transparency, and encourage open feedback about the changes. This open climate of communication creates trust and reduces cynicism among workers.
Unfortunately, only 27% of those surveyed agreed that their leadership is trained in these areas. Of the 27%, more than half only slightly agreed.
It’s the job of all leaders to ensure capacity is managed in their areas.
Only 31% of respondents reported that their organisation prevents employees from being overloaded by change demands. This impacts productivity, employee satisfaction, and return on investment in change programs.
Resilient employees – ones who are responsive to, motivated by, and ready for change – enable you to compete in a dynamic and uncertain world. Unfortunately only 32 % of respondents indicated that their organisation considers individual change capability in development plans.
In short: everyone has a role to play in change.
Our research shows that when organisations invest in these areas they consistently deliver change programs faster, cheaper, more successfully and with less disruption.
The ability to lead teams through change and to demonstrate results are critical leadership skills needed across all sectors and industries. Mastering this competency puts any leader ahead of the pack in career progression.
Organisations that recognise this are creating leaders for the future.
Our preferred methodology, People Centred Implementation (PCI ®), focuses on preparing everyone in an organisation for their role in change.
Regardless of your organisation’s methodology, we can work with you to develop and support the capability of your workforce.
Do you agree with us? Share why (or why not) in the comments!