Stay Grounded with a Simple Change Management Framework

Focus on simplicity to help people from getting overwhelmed by complexity in organizational transformations.

A few data points illustrate the amount of change people are facing at work:

• 3/4 of employees are involved in at least three transformation workstreams
• 2/3 of middle managers have experienced a major technology transformation in the last two years
• 2/3 of executives say transformations have become continuous

All of that change is overwhelming employees and middle managers:

• 2/3 of employees working an additional 6-10 hours report high stress
• Over 1/2 of middle managers say too much change is underway

These data come from two surveys^1,2 conducted in the first half of 2023 and reinforce our own client experiences over the past few years. Companies continue to pursue so many overlapping changes on top of “business as usual” that people can barely keep pace. No organization can sustain this level of transformation without consequences.

On top of the sheer volume of change, most transformative initiatives can become very complicated very quickly, making implementation all that more challenging. Change leaders should expect this complexity and plan accordingly. After all:

• People are complex: Individuals have different needs, preferences, styles, skills, experiences, and personalities. 
• Processes are complicated: Activities often have dozens of initial inputs, multiple potential pathways, numerous stakeholders, rigid timelines, specialized tools, and legal or regulatory requirements.
• Technology is convoluted: Most systems have hundreds of thousands of lines of code, entwined procedures, and touch dozens of other systems or data repositories. What looks like a “simple” task belies the complexity of the underlying systems.

With all of those interwoven complexities, it’s no wonder that people report transformation initiatives dragging on endlessly or getting stuck and spinning into irrelevance. No planning team lists these endpoints as desired outcomes, but they have become all too common and lead to frustration across the organization.

A Simple Change Framework

We like to use a simple change management framework rooted in fundamentals to help keep your initiatives on track.

1. The Why

Come back to your core reason for embarking on this change. Keep using simple, crisp, clear language without jargon or acronyms to ensure your message resonates. Tailor the core message to resonate with different audiences so they can hear it in words that will be most meaningful to them.

2. The People

Stay focused on the people who will be impacted by this change, as well as the people who will be helping you design, implement, and manage this change. Put their perspectives and needs ahead of your own. Listen to their concerns and respond with empathy. Give people space and grace.

3. The What

Notice where we placed the “what” of whatever is changing on this list: after the Why and the People. We did that intentionally. People need to understand the reason for any change and must feel heard before they will start to pay attention to the details of what you are changing. Start with a high-level overview, helping your colleagues see the bigger picture. Resist the urge to dive directly into the details.

4. The How

Finally, after reinforcing the reason for the change and making your people feel heard and supported, you can explain how the change will take place. All of these details of how the change will be implemented will be lost if you start here. Start simply, with an overview of how the change will be introduced, measured, and adjusted as needed. Share ways your colleagues can co-create the details of this change, whether timing or sequencing of certain activities, deciding who should be involved when, or fleshing out the details of the “What” is being changed.

Planning and executing transformations are skill sets. Like most other skills, change management skills can be learned. You can also seek advice from others. Let us help you make change more comfortable and successful for your organization. Contact us today to get started.

Get Our Change Management Fundamentals Toolkit

If you’re looking for simplicity in your change management initiatives, look no further! Harmonious Workplaces developed a simple solution as a downloadable toolkit. Click the link below to access yours today. No sign up, just pure and simple freedom!

References

“The new transformation agenda.” KPMG LLP, 2023. https://kpmg.com/kpmg-us/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2023/new-transformation-agenda-secured.pdf. Accessed August 30, 2024.

“Measure employee behavior, not just sentiment, to drive successful transformation.” KPMG LLP, 2024. https://kpmg.com/kpmg-us/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2024/measure-employee-behavior-not-just-sentiment-to-drive-successful-transformation.pdf. Accessed August 30, 2024.