Executing Effective Change Management: What You Need to Know

One of the most important factors to consider when it comes to executing effective change management ultimately comes down to the people who matter most of all — your employees. This is particularly true when it comes to technology disruption, as people will need a great reason to adapt to sudden changes that affects their ability to do their jobs each day and not just because someone said so.

Any solid approach to managing IT changes must address the ‘human side’ head on. It is essential to meet and engage with key stakeholders and department leaders early on and often.  Understand not only how these jobs change, but also how these changes will manifest in due course. Work hard to uncover what new skills and capabilities will need to be developed. Deal with employee uncertainty and resistance in a proactive way by listening to their concerns and explaining how these changes will help them, not hurt them.

Communication is King

Any IT change management strategy needs to have a solid message at the heart of it all, something that all key stakeholders can buy into in an emotional way. This message needs to be communicated clearly and often to all involved, both in the larger sense of "this is what we're changing, this is why it matters” and in the micro sense of “this is what we're doing today and how it helps us move farther along towards the goal we've all agreed on”.

Experts agree that all of the best change management programs reinforce their core messaging systems through regular, timely advice that is both practical in terms of the job(s) that need to be done and inspirational in terms of the goal(s) that will be achieved.

Expect the Unexpected

Finally, one of the most important elements of executing effective IT change management involves preparing for issues that you can predict and anticipating those that you cannot. Any type of change, regardless of how big or small, comes with a certain degree of risk.

Because of this, the best way to execute a truly effective change management strategy involves using real-time data generated by employees to mitigate risks as quickly as possible. Listen to what people are telling you and more importantly, be prepared to act on that information. This, coupled with a solid and actionable decision-making process, gives you the agility necessary to adjust to risks as quickly as possible. This will guarantee the momentum you need to drive the results that you're after. 

The Powernet Approach

At Powernet, we firmly believe that technology is just a platform. How that platform is leveraged will determine whether or not it can be used to generate the results that you're after. Change is necessary to achieve better results, as technology itself is malleable. It can be whatever you need it to be  — provided that you've got the right change management strategy at the heart of it all, driving you forward in the right direction.

If you have any additional questions about executing an effective change management strategy for your IT infrastructure, or if you'd like to learn more about why partnering with an IT managed service provider may be the right move for your organisation, please contact Powernet today.