Sustaining and management of change

What’s the value

Making planned change ‘stick’ often proves harder than delivering the change. Embedding is the best way of getting back the investment made in a change initiative. Achieving embedded change means getting the stakeholders, the change managers and change agents to focus on creating the environment that makes the transition from new to business-as-usual compelling.

Why is it valid

The evidence against overly directed change – management of change driven from the top – as an effective model is overwhelming, as is the absolute necessity for there to be senior commitment to the change for it to work. The resolution of these two apparently contrary drives is to find ways of combining the organisational and individual drivers for management of change and making them synergetic rather than opposing giving rise to organisation-level change that encompasses the changes individuals make as they adjust their coping routines.

What you will experience

CITI approaches sustainability in two ways:

1. CITI ensures that people have the licence to do what needs to be done to make the change a reality in their working lives. The differing ‘leadership’ levels get supporting tools and are equipped with transitioning techniques. Change leaders, change managers and change agents are reminded of their success criteria and given ways to enact and measure them.
2. CITI develops from the ‘make it wanted’ phase of the change initiative a compelling story which is used to remind the organisation and the staff involved what good looks like and why what is happening is happening. The energy released is used to eradicate old unwanted behaviours and reinforce the new.

CITI absorbs much of the stress and tensions in transferring change into operations. Creating compelling stories, aligning the organisation and individual, and assisting personal change, all support the sustainability of the change.

How you might start

The trigger for engaging CITI is usually that the planning only includes implementation – the handover and warranty period – and there is no credible benefits realisation plan. In these circumstances the sustainability of change management within the organisation has become disassociated with personal or individual change mechanics and the projects objectives are likely to missed.

Example models, methods & tools used

OAFR: Observe – Act– Feedback – Reflect model
Management of change diamond
Storytelling

Clients we have helped realise this value

Further reading

We also discuss business transformation programmes here:
http://www.citi.co.uk/how-do-i-learn-more-about-change-management/

Your thoughts?

What are your thoughts – do you agree with our approach, or do the symptoms sound like the ones you are experiencing in your organisation? We would love to hear from you either by adding a comment at the bottom of the page or by emailing one of our consultants at consultants@citi.co.uk – or call +44(0)1908 283610

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PAshton

Paul ensures our clients, members and associates have electronic access to CITI’s intellectual property and services, which may require him providing technical consultancy on clients’ sites.

Latest posts by PAshton (see all)

• Bulletin – September 2015 - September 16, 2015
• Nick Dobson - September 15, 2015
• CITI introductory video - September 15, 2015