The process of change in itself has to be well-thought and rolled out in a phased manner in order to eliminate the chaos and the disappointments that can spin-off from the process. At the event of the occurrence of such discrepancies, it can even prevent you from reaping the potential benefits of the process. Hence it is important to manage the process of change efficiently and wisely. A change management software is also suggested to carry out the process effectively.

When change can be brought about into an organization for different reasons and requirements, the implementation process of the desired change has a common set of priority tasks to be worked upon. This set of best practices in change management can help the organization big time, with a smooth rollout of the process and ensures complete compliance and success of the process as well.

Here is a list of best practices observed from the organizational change management strategies of the most successful enterprises:

Planning

Any project or event that is aspired to, requires a plan down to the smallest of its details. The most fundamental aspect of change management is the planning part of it. Any change that is desired to be brought into the organization has to be planned with clarity well ahead of time. This task of proper planning will save much of the potential time, energy, and resources in the later implementing phase. Working with a well-sort out plan will also impart clarity to the various stakeholders involved in the process and can hence the entire journey hassle free.

A plan that is well built on a proper analysis of the past and the present status of the organization and its future aspirations, along with an accurate estimate of the capabilities of the stakeholders involved, will yield the best possible results. The plan has to be well phased and the targets to be achieved has to be broken down into milestones, so that the induced change does not jam the working of the organization. Working with a plan will also help you to keep track of the process and monitor its effectiveness in the future.

Communication

The stakeholders are the engines that drive an organization. Hence it is important to keep them informed and updated on the change process. It is pivotal to communicate to the employees regarding the need for the change, the benefits arising from it and the strategy to achieve it. This will ensure the absolute compliance of the employees in the plan of action.

Communication is the key to managing a change process. When the lines for communication are open and accessible, it helps in the influx of best ideas from different perspectives and various stakeholders for the greater good of the organization. When the communication channels are mere broadcasting in nature, the employees who are to drive the change might feel unheard and unimportant. Picking up the right method of communication and ensuring that those channels are kept open for the stakeholders to register their grievances and share their ideas will make the process more inclusive and collaborated. This process of choosing the right means of communication with the employees and the other stakeholders can be enhanced with a proper analysis of the previous communication methods followed by the organization and its relative effectiveness and drawbacks, to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Executives

The execution of the plan is as important as the plan itself. Even the best of plans cannot yield ultimate results if they are not implemented well. The employees play a vital role in this implementation process. Hence picking out the employees who are loyal to the organization is inevitable. Vesting the process of change upon those employees who trust the organizational values, who have their vision integrated with the vision of the organization and those who have realized the need for the change and are prepared to work on it throughout the process will deliver results beyond expectations. When the key roles in the organization and in the execution process of the plan of action are driven by my enthusiastic, optimistic and efficient leaders will make the entire process smooth and interesting. Vesting the right responsibilities on the right people is a key move to eliminate any kind of deviation from the right track.

Monitoring

The process of change cannot be implemented in a flash and hence it is important to give it the required time to shape up and show results. It has to be rolled out one phase at a time, to ensure that the productivity of the organization is not halted in the process. In the meantime, it is also important to track its progress and monitor the corresponding impact it creates in the organization on a real-time basis. This process of monitoring will help you analyze the pros and cons of the plan at hand and enable you to make appropriate and necessary changes to it.

A plan that looks absolutely perfect on paper might not do well when implemented. Practical difficulties can be sorted out only when the process is observed with keenness. This process will also provide you with the performance status of the employees and hence assess their compliance and loyalty towards the intended change as well. A real-time analysis of this sort will make the process finer and accurate, ensuring a more successful output.

Upgrading

The course of action of the change process is as dynamic as change itself. The technological advancement in recent times is ever-changing and constantly evolving, the organization has to upgrade itself to cope-up up with it. The process of change once initiated demands to be updated from time-to-time, in order to stay relevant to the changing trends and the ever-growing needs of the customers. The plan of action implemented for the process of change has to be flexible enough to be expanded to incorporate the latest of technology and organizational trends into it. This strategy will help you grow both onward and upward and assist you to stay in the race amidst the extremely close competition prevailing in the service sector.

Change is the only constant that ensures the successful progression of an organization. It holds prime importance in driving it forward along with all its stakeholders towards bigger dreams and greater possibilities. Hence the process of inducing a change to acquire the desired results requires strenuous planning and constant effort. Since no change is instantaneous, working together with optimism throughout the journey is essential to enjoy its overall benefits as an organization. The change when unanimously driven by all the stakeholders will yield results that are certainly beneficial to every contributor.

Vaishali Gopi