Success criteria

for change
initiatives
Author
Melanie Franklin
Director
Agile Change Management Limited
Introduction

This document summarises some of the latest thinking on what is needed for successful transformational
change. The contributions are from:

McKinsey: Helping employees http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/helping_employees_e

embrace change mbrace_change
IBM: Making Change Work Report http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/bus/pdf/gbe03100-usen-03-
making-change-work.pdf
PMI: Enabling Organisational http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Publications/Enabling-Change-
Change Report Through-Strategic-Initiatives.ashx
Boston Consulting Group: The https://hbr.org/2005/10/the-hard-side-of-change-management
Hard Side of Change Management
Accenture Change Tracking http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/service-accenture-change-
Service tracking-overview.aspx
KPMG: The Change Challenge; http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/services/Advisory/management-
Realising the Full Potential of consulting/management-consulting-by-capability/Documents/kpmg-the-
Your Business Initiatives change-challenge.pdf

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McKinsey: Helping employees IBM: Making Change PMI: Enabling Boston Consulting Group: Accenture Change KPMG: The Change Challenge;
embrace change Work Report Organisational Change The Hard Side of Change Tracking Service Realising the Full Potential of
Report Management Your Business Initiatives
Senior Managers Commitment Real Insights, Real Actions Having well-defined Duration: a long project that Turbulence (conditions such Share the vision - Develop an
put initiative at top of agenda - Strive for a full, realistic milestones and metrics is reviewed frequently is as the magnitude, pace and overarching, strategic vision for
Communication relate single, awareness and more likely to succeed than a risks of change): your initiative that defines the
clear, compelling story no mixed understanding of the short project that isnt o risks and roadblocks; desired future state in a
messages upcoming reviewed frequently; o changes taking place; compelling manner. Clearly outline
Financial incentives reward challenges and complexities, the expected benefits, cultural
senior managers if initiative is then follow with actions to changes and behavioural
successful address attributes while consistently
Non-financial incentives provide them. reinforcing this vision to motivate
recognition for strong and inspire employees.
performance
Leadership identify
owner/champion
Stretch targets uphold goals
with mantra-like consistency;
team lives or dies by the
numbers
Middle Managers Decision Solid Methods, Solid Benefits Having senior management Integrity: the extent to Resources: Understand the change - Assess
authority exercise consistent Use a systematic approach committed to change which companies can rely on o training and capability; the complete impact of the
control over a defined set of tasks to change that is focused on teams of managers, o systems and processes; change, it's magnitude, perception
Skills in managing people outcomes supervisors and staff to o project support; and associated risks. Base your
provide feedback to employees on and closely aligned with execute change projects change strategy and support
status of initiative formal project management successfully. This comprises needs on specific gaps and
Skills in managing projects methodology. the mix of knowledge, skills opportunities.
achieve measurable milestones in and experience needed in
a timely manner getting changes done on
time, to budget and the
required quality;

agilechangemanagement limited 2015 03

McKinsey: Helping employees IBM: Making Change PMI: Enabling Boston Consulting Group: Accenture Change KPMG: The Change Challenge;
embrace change Work Report Organisational Change The Hard Side of Change Tracking Service Realising the Full Potential of
Report Management Your Business Initiatives
Front Line Staff Better Skills, Better Change Establishing and Commitment: the Aligned direction: Prioritise your efforts - Allocate
Skills consider training key Leverage resources communicating concrete demonstrable willingness of - Vision and direction; resources in a manner that allows
aspect of initiative appropriately to demonstrate ownership and top management, the - Communication; you to address key issues first.
Tools make technology and top management accountability change team and the Prioritising efforts can accelerate
techniques available to employees sponsorship, assign recipients of change to be progress and enable 'quick wins'
Motivation clearly reward dedicated change managers engaged in the change; that help encourage stakeholder
excellent performance to improve and empower buy-in and support.
morale employees to enact change.
Right Investment, Right Using standardized project Effort: the effort that is Engagement: Create leadership engagement -
Impact management practices required over and above the - Change leadership (the Leaders need to 'own' the change
Allocate the right amount for usual work that the change level of commitment and by clearly positioning themselves
change management by initiative demands of people. support provided by as strong advocates for the
understanding leaders); change and consistently
which types of investments - Involvement (the level to supporting the future vision and
can offer the best returns, in which people are involved in it's benefits.
terms of planning and implementing
greater project success. change);

Effort includes sponsors and Team leadership: Consider all stakeholders -

senior management who - Management skills; Changes affect both internal and
may have multiple time - Feeling valued; external parties so consider the
pressures and the next - Accountability (clear greater universe of stakeholders
change initiative to concern performance objectives and such as suppliers, customers,
them; people held accountable for outside investors and
achieving outcomes); shareholders. Address their
particular needs in your change
efforts even if the impact is minor.

04 agilechangemanagement limited 2015

McKinsey: Helping employees IBM: Making Change PMI: Enabling Boston Consulting Group: Accenture Change KPMG: The Change Challenge;
embrace change Work Report Organisational The Hard Side of Change Tracking Service Realising the Full Potential of
Change Report Management Your Business Initiatives
Effort includes the change Emotional energy: Continuously communicate -
team itself, who may be - passion and drive (positive Regular, proactive, meaningful
focusing purely on the feelings); and transparent communication is
project implementation date - disturbance (negative essential at every stage of the
rather than the aftershock feelings such as fears and initiative. In fact, when nothing is
of the change; frustration). communicated, inaccurate or
unwanted messages develop. This
applies to employee messaging
and discussions with the Board,
investors, analysts and customers.
Effort includes line Develop sustainable training
managers, who often have programmes - Develop relevant,
the job of juggling business targeted training programmes that
as usual as well as are tailored to the specific needs
implementing the change in of your audiences. Don't forget
their areas and managing that training may need to evolve
staff through the transition; and ensure that processes and
ownership for updating your
training content and retraining
your staff are clearly defined.
Effort includes employees Realign the organisation -
involved in implementing Technology, process and policy
change, who may need changes have frequent
additional resources to do implications for the structure of
this, e.g. a reduction in the organisation. Realigning the
normal workload, backfilling organisation and changing roles
or recognition that there will and responsibilities may be
be a performance dip required to adjust to new ways of
working.

agilechangemanagement limited 2015 05

Melanie Franklin has a track record of excellence in project, programme and portfolio planning
and delivery. In recent years she has focused on helping organisations move from waterfall to
agile project management approaches in response to the increasing need to deliver projects on a
shorter timescale.
Creating agile environments has grown in importance in recent years, and many executives are
driving this adoption as they become aware of the benefits of agile thinking in responding to fast
moving changes in the international business environment.
She is a respected author of 8 text books about project and change management. Her most
recent book, Agile Change Management proposed an approach to managing change initiatives
that applies the principles of agile project management. This ensures that the exact deliverables
from a change initiative can evolve in response to customer, regulator and market demand,
project deadlines are still respected.

Melanie believes in authentic leadership, therefore, as well as using her

training skills to develop the skills and knowledge of attendees on her
courses, she also ensures she attends training to build her own skill set.
Melanie is an accredited trainer in AgilePM and is a Certified Scrum
Master and LeanKanban Practitioner. She is also an accredited trainer in
Change Management, an examiner for the APMG Change Management
Foundation and Practitioner qualifications and the Co-Chair of the
Change Management Institute UK.

You can contact Melanie on:

[email protected]

www.agilechangemanagement.co.uk

Twitter: #agilemelanie

Linked-In: uk.linkedin.com/in/melaniefranklin1

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