Change Management: The Human Factor

A recent study by a consulting firm took 3199 executives as subjects from all over the world and found out that only one third of change projects or organizational transformations have been a success. Moreover, this is due to the human factor that is occupied or involved in any kind of pursuit for change and the unreasonable aspect of human conduct. When process changes, technology changes, or team changes are established in the work setting, team members have counter-intuitive conducts to interpret the changes and act different from what is likely.

Another study by Hiatt and Creasy discovered that the top barriers to change management in a project are employee resistance, pitiable executive sponsorship, middle-management resistance, inadequate resources, and corporate political views. Except for limited resources, the four barriers are related to humans. However, if people or humans were not an issue, limited resources would also not be a major issue either. For example, if humans were approachable to change, it would not be difficult to gather talent, time, and knowledge.

Human change may be the most common obstacle, but if managed effectively, the effect can be minimised. The article puts together simple tips to reduce the effect of the human obstacle in change management.

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2. Buying-in by middle managers: Middle managers and employees help support and maintain initiatives that would assist the project growth as well as help themselves. The help could be in terms of procedure, financial, or professional. No matter what type it is, the significance of the change management project must be well communicated to all in the project team.

3. The team: The team that is built to manage the change project must be skilled, and dedicated. This team can encourage support from all the staff who would be affected by the change in the company.

4. Communication: Communication is essential during a change project as it helps in passing by both emotional and proficient obstacles. Effective communication is the key to get through the whole project smoothly. A solid communication plan must be created and shared with all the members. In addition to this, there must be transparency and clarity about the status of the project and required result.

5. Training: Adequate training must be imparted to the concerned individuals. This training would help people adapt to the changes as soon as possible. The training manual would provide trainees with skills to settle in easily. It is a good idea to take training sessions in batches. Provide the skills only to a batch and get their thoughts on the advantages, disadvantages, strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of the project.

• Carolyn Aiken and Scott Keller, authors of the paper “The Irrational Side of Transformation” (McKinsey Quarterly, 2009)
• Change Management: The People Side of Change by Jeff Hiatt and Timothy J. Creasy