BL Magazine

Business
as well as proven tips, tricks and methods that will be of invaluable
help to staff leading change from within the organisation.
A change management programme will inevitably encounter
obstacles, ranging from managerial resistance and budgetary
constraints, to the limits of legacy systems and company culture
problems. Personal attitudes can also put a spanner in the works
if those in the company are fearful of change, are too busy to take
it on or are too complacent about it.
“It’s down to every single member of every team to first
accept that there will be days when we fall into one of these
categories,” says Rayner. “We are all human after all. The trick is
to recognise those days for what they are and not let them turn
into weeks or months.”
Atkinson believes obstacles lie in people, processes and
technology. The most complex of those is people, as resistance
can be covert, making it difficult to manage. “Industry techniques,
such as stakeholder analysis and engagement and communication
planning, are a great help in overcoming these resistors, but they
need constant attention,” he says.
With two decades of change management experience behind
him, JFSC’s Jeacock says the key to a successful programme comes
down to several factors. These include strong communication with
staff, a realistic timescale, a common-sense approach and a ‘willdo’
attitude, board support and good governance of the project.
A massive advocate of engaging every employee with change,
Jeacock has created roles for voluntary change champions at the
organisation to dispel any resistance. Their job is to give feedback
to management about how the programme is affecting staff,
to clarify any areas of concern and in particular to dispel any
worrying rumours. “You have to bring staff with you,” he says.
Rayner has another important message for any organisations
proposing to transform the way they’re run. “Change doesn’t have
to be arduous or threatening,” she says, adding: “Although it can
be hard work at times, we have a lot of fun.” n
EMMA DE VITA is a freelance business writer
SIGNS THAT YOUR COMPANY MIGHT
NEED TO CHANGE
Are you concerned your company might be struggling
to keep abreast of the market? Answer yes to two
or more of these statements and it might be worth
considering whether you should undertake a change
management programme. The following list isn’t
definitive or ‘right’, it’s a starting point for reflection.
1 Your customers/users are complaining about
your products/services.
Your employee engagement/staff survey data
2 is showing a downward trend – or if it’s the first
time you’ve run it, is simply not indicating your
business is a great place to work.
3Staff sickness/absenteeism is increasing and/or
churn rate is high. This isn’t a sign you have ‘the
wrong people’; it’s a signal that the leadership
and/or culture is in need of attention.
4 Whistleblowing. If people need to tell someone
else what is wrong in your business, and they
can’t tell you, you have a problem.
5 New entrants to the market can offer what you
do more efficiently/for less. Can you remain
competitive?
6
Revenue/cost targets aren’t being hit.
www.blglobal.co.uk january/february 2016 55