Chris Madsen is an Applications Consultant with over 15 years of project implementation experience.
At the start of an enterprise Kronos project, there is often a moment of dread at the thought of tackling change management. Organizational change comes with a myriad of pitfalls and if handled poorly, can be an extremely painful process. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. When dealing with application changes or upgrades within Kronos or any other HCM software, you need to be very clear in your planning. Here are our top four things to AVOID when implementing a change management strategy during a Kronos project.
1. Create an Unrealistic Time-line
Setting an unrealistic timeline is a surefire way to endanger a project’s success. If your team cannot meet the expectations required of them by the set deadlines, you risk not only a failed project, but also a frustrated and burnt out team. It is crucial to ensure you have explored alternatives if the project fails or does not meet deadlines given.
2. Fail to Prioritize Employee Engagement
Failing to engage employees during a large Kronos project can lead to serious issues during roll out and completion. Did the project take employee involvement into scope? Were they engaged? Most large Kronos projects will touch every employee, affecting the workforce as well as the bottom line. Be sure to have a strategy in place to effectively engage your front line staff.
3. Exclude Necessary Subject Experts/Skillsets
It is crucial to include the necessary subject experts, roles, and skillsets in your project team. The correct personnel need to be in place in all aspects of the project, from the planning phase through to implementation. Make sure to consider how every employee involved will manage the information and interact with corporate operations. Some key questions to ask during this process include:
- Do you have standard for change in leadership roles and authority levels?
- Is there a clear case for change?
- Do you have the change leadership capability required to succeed at change?
- Where do all of the change-related resources live in your organization?
- Do you have a central group for deployment of these resources?
4. Build No Clear Communication Strategy
If an organization has no plan in place for communicating change, there will be no way to get employees to commit to the necessary actions. The best way to deal with resistance to change is to be prepared. Anticipating objections and pain points is a vital piece of creating a communication strategy. Employees need to understand why the change is both important and beneficial to, not only the company, but also them personally.
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