Change management and performance management are two key parts of organisational success. Change management prepares, supports, and enables people, teams, and organisations to transition effectively. On the other hand, performance management defines goals, evaluates progress, and offers feedback to enhance performance.
Identifying levers for change and driving change are key components of change management and performance management. One can study human resources online with a certification course in HR management to master change management and performance management.
The Five Levers of Change Management
In Prosci's change management methodology, the five levers of change management are tools that support individuals through change. These five levers are:
Communication Plan
This lever sometimes needs clarification with change management. However, excellent communication is vital to ensure that everyone connected by the change understands what is occurring, why, and their role in the change process.
Sponsorship Roadmap
It focuses on identifying and engaging sponsors who will promote the change and give the necessary resources and support to ensure its success. Sponsors are often top executives who have the ability and influence to push change throughout the business.
Coaching Plan
This lever is meant to build a coaching strategy to help people and teams through the transformation process. Coaching can assist individuals in acquiring skills, overcoming reluctance, and adjusting to new functioning methods.
Managers are the closest to the employees who eventually must bring change to life, and this closeness makes them vital partners in times of transition. Employees look to their managers for answers, support, and guidance in times of change.
Training Plan
It means creating a training strategy to increase skills and competencies. Training is vital but needs to be more sufficient to drive change. The manager's responsibility in training is to identify the skills and competencies that workers need and discover any gaps in the training needs.
Resistance Management Plan
This lever is concerned with recognising and addressing change resistance. Denial, rage, and fear are all examples of resistance. Understanding the roots of resistance, engaging resistors, and resolving their concerns are all part of effective resistance management.
ADKAR model
The ADKAR model is a change management methodology that focuses on individual change and helps individuals through a particular transformation, addressing any hurdles or barrier points along the route. Prosci founder Jeff Hiatt established the model after researching the changing patterns of more than 700 firms.Â
The ADKAR model is built on the hypothesis that organisational transformation can only happen when individuals change. The approach consists of five building elements that must be completed for a change to be successful:
- Awareness: Make staff aware of the change.
- Desire: Adapt a willingness to change.
- Knowledge: Teach staff how to make the change.
- Ability: Leverage knowledge into the capacity to create change.
- Reinforcement: Monitor the change over time and urge individuals to follow it.
Some Common Challenges in Change Management and How to Overcome Them
Here are a few key points:
Lack of executive support: One of the biggest challenges in change management is more administrative support and active sponsorship. For a successful change, it is important to have an executive manager and an executive sponsor early in the change process and to show them the value of the change. The other important aspect is to get leaders and sponsors involved and visible to employees during the transformation.
Limited information and resources for change management: Many companies need to learn what change management is and how beneficial it could be to the organisation. Train leaders and line managers in change management and give them the tools and budget they need to be successful.
Communication breakdowns: Miscommunications will likely happen anywhere and throughout the change process, making it hard for employees to accept technology or process changes. It is essential to keep in touch with everyone involved and communicate your goals and progress continually so that everyone knows what is going on.
Misaligned project goals: With multiple teams having different expectations and goals, the teams may begin working towards other objectives. Separate the needs of different regions and delegate the right people to the right changes at the right time.
Change fatigue: It is when employees experience a high volume of change in the organisation overload. Communicate each change with why it is happening and its value to the people.
Tracking project health: It’s important to be mindful of the project's health to ensure everything is in order and discover potential issues as soon as possible. Define and measure your success metrics.
The Importance of Performance Management in Driving Change
 Here are some reasons why performance management is important in driving change:
- Enables regular communication: It allows managers to have everyday conversations with their team and can see subtle signs early on when someone is underperforming.
- Helps to discover important changes: Through periodic performance reviews, the management can unearth the need for changes in their performance.
- Promotes experimentation with new technology: Organisations are more likely to cope well long-term as technology evolves. Being willing to use new tech helps them adapt and handle these changes well.
- Sustains performance throughout change: Change management for performance is key to helping organisations maintain productivity levels throughout changes.
- Supports professional growth: Performance management cultivates a culture of continuous performance improvement and encourages professional development to increase employee engagement.
Driving Change
Companies must take an organised and systematic approach to change management to drive change effectively. The Prosci 3-Phase Change Management Process provides a framework for generating successful change management strategies and plans for projects and initiatives. The three phases are:
- Prepare for change: This phase comprises analysing the issue, creating a support team, and developing a change management strategy.
- Manage change: It comprises implementing the change management plan, engaging with stakeholders, and offering education and training to help people and teams through the change process.
- Reinforce change: It integrates the change into the corporate culture, assessing progress and providing continuous assistance to sustain the transition.
Conclusion
Identifying the correct levers for change and driving change successfully involves an equilibrium of leadership, vision, culture, people, ideas, and employee participation. Organisations that can properly use these levers will maximise their chances of success. Imarticus Learning offers a People Leadership & Strategic HR Manager course with IIM Lucknow. This certification course in HR management is designed for aspiring senior HR professionals and ambitious business managers who aim to become influential leaders and drive organisational success. One can study human resources online with this curriculum, which includes numerous people management abilities required for future people and HR executives, concentrating on the "future of work, workplace, and workforce." Follow the website for more insights and obtain an assured certification course in HR management.
