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4 Questions to Ask of a Change Management Strategy | Improv

Written by Jenna DeVries | Apr 29, 2016

 

You can't build an adaptable organization without adaptable people--and individuals change only when they have to, or when they want to. --Gary Hamel

Navigating change in the workplace is one of the most challenging endeavors an organization must take on. In the world of Workforce Management Software, change is a frequent occurrence. Organizations often deal with significant internal resistance during an implementation or upgrade of a major system. A workforce management system, specifically a system like Kronos, touches every employee in an organization. Therefore, dedicating a significant amount of time, energy, and resources into organizational Change Management is key. In order to adequately dispense corporate resources, organizations can create a Change Management Strategy. 

Change Management Strategy:

How an organization plans to help employees deal with change and use the new software correctly.

Here are four key questions to ask when creating a WFM Change Management strategy: 

  1. What are our WFM software/ WFM goals?

The first step is to define success. How does your organization plan on using the updated Kronos application? Who are the employees that need training? What does user-adoption look like? Defining success is the first step in a change management strategy.  

  1. How are we going to communicate?

Lay out how your organization will communicate the upcoming changes, who the changes will affect, and the organization's WFM goals. A Communication strategy should include:

• Communication Planning: Determine the information and communication needs of the key project stakeholders: who needs what information, when they need it, and how it will be provided.
• Information Distribution: Make needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely and effective manner.
• Performance Reporting: Collect and distribute performance data, including status reports, progress measurement, and forecasting.
• Administrative Closure: Generate, gather, and distribute information to formalize a phase of project completion.
These four steps will help to ensure honest, transparent, and effective communication is the best way to help employees deal with change. Successful communication before and during and implementation includes ensures there is widespread understanding of the project expectations placed for each department.

  1. Is there potential for corporate friction? How can we prevent it?

It is nearly impossible to avoid politics in the workplace. Employees are often incentivized by project success, which can create an environment where there is unhealthy competition for resources, time, and money. Asking these key questions can help identify potential friction:

  • What are the incentives to help the project be successful and prioritize it?
  • What counter-incentives might be working against prioritizing the project?
  • What are the needs, wants, and values of the project participants?
  • Are employees’ bonuses or compensation packages dependent on the project? 


In order to avoid any damage, project leaders need to identify who will benefit from the project success and who could potentially be against the project. Identifying these individuals allows for the targeting of potential friction points. The policy for any leader when leading change is to be honest and transparent.

  1. How much training will we need?

It is important to clarify that training equips employees and streamlines processes, but does not organize or manage organizational change. However, training is a large part of change management because it is a step towards creating acceptance and adoption for new projects. Kronos training will not guarantee user-adoption, but it will equip employees to use an application successfully.

Since new workflows and software are being introduced, employees will need effective training. Employees may express skepticism about whether or not the updated WFM software will work, but those concerns may be a symptom of a deeper concern; they are worried their skills will now be obsolete. Training assists employees to understand how business processes, job responsibilities, and work environments will change with the implementation of Kronos.

Education should be a top priority from the beginning to end of the project, warranting substantial resources. Training is most often handled by the combined efforts of the organization as well as the outside consultant or vendor. A comprehensive training strategy includes a training plan, training location(s), and resources, including educators and curriculum.

Is your organization preparing for an implementation or upgrade? Contact us today to learn more about how Improvizations can help your organization create a comprehensive implementation strategy. 

 
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