When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Viktor Frankl
Working with Organisations
During my years working in organisations, I have noticed that there is much confusion about what change management is and leaders often are unable to identify what they need from a change management practitioner. Here are few key principles that explain change management .
What is Change Management?
Culture
A process that begins with and considers an organisation’s current culture, rituals, structure and processes.
Awareness
A process that equips leaders and individuals to understand their feelings, build empathy and self-supports to engage wholeheartedly with the change process.
Fluid
A fluid process that must remain relevant in the face of changing conditions, whilst not compromising on good people-change principles.
Planning
A planned process that addresses how to best support individuals and groups with the behaviours and emotions evoked while undergoing change.
Process
Lays out a clear, succinct process about how new behaviours and skills will engage people in a meaningful way with the proposed change.
Psychological Safety
A method to identify and support what is stirred up in peoples’ internal world e.g. worry, fear, confusion.
So why is this so important ?
Without a balanced change management process and supportive practices, the risk to productivity, employee harmony, profitability and reputation is high. From an employee perspective, failed implementations, decreases confidence in their organisation’s leaders and the result is a loss of faith in the organisation’s stated goals.
Getting the right change management practitioners to guide your organisation is key. Here are some good principles to keep in mind.
have a mix of strategic skills and expertise to work with the psychologically factors that are evoked by a change process
Ethically Informed
have relevant form of psychology qualification (e.g. behavioural or psychodynamic skills) to work with individuals ethically and responsibly;
Committed
is able to establish a working alliance with their clients that is honest, courageous and transparent, even in difficult times
People focus
focuses on people issue evoked by the proposed changes, rather than be distracted by writing communications or organising training
Contract
contracts with their client in a clear and transparent way that supports and holds the integrity of their role
System Cultural
have suitable skills to analyse an organisation's culture and know how cultural factors impact proposed changes
Consulting to organisations -as a strategic change management consultant across diverse industries with a focus on integrating people, technology and processes across a broad range of projects and stakeholders.
Coaching and supervision - I offer unique support program for change management practitioners that focuses on holding good boundaries, improving self-care and understanding the relational dilemmas evoked in our change roles.
ChangeMaking Consulting Services Working from Melbourne Integrative Therapies 8-10 Mansfield Street Thornbury, 3071 Contact: Phone 61 422 849 820
We pay our deep respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders, past and present, of the land on which we work and live, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We also acknowledge the enduring leadership, resilience, wisdom, kinship, culture and connection to Country of Traditional Custodians and Elders despite centuries of systemic oppression which began with colonisation and continues today.
