Change Management Model

Change should be a part of every company’s life and it needs to be done on on-going basis, in order to improve quality, raise standards and identify new tools and strategies for better performance. 

Change is the only way to help companies improve services and find new innovative approaches to better satisfy clients.

However, when change in not handled and managed properly it could be a damaging process to a company and its employees.

 A Change Management Model in 6 steps - A New Approach to Kotter's Model

1. Assess, recognize and define change - A manager must be able to analyze and understand the changes that need to take place in his/her company. The best way to identify change is to involve employees and other stakeholders in the process. There are always people who are resistant to change, so you need to be prepared to handle those situations effectively. If change is of an urgent nature, you need to communicate it clearly to everyone involved.  

 
2. Empower employees and stakeholders – People who are involved in the process of assessment and planning, become actively engaged in implementing and achieving the vision. This is a very empowering process that often times allows for new leaders to raise to the surface and change the culture of a company. These people will also be the motivators to help integrate change organically and facilitate a smooth transition phase.

 
3. Create a change management team - This team should involve valued staff members as well as other important stakeholders that will be impacted by the change. They should be able to encourage and guide teamwork in the company.

 
4. Facilitate a vision – Establishing a defined, shared vision will help team members, and stakeholders to easily achieve goals and implement activities. The best way to establish a vision is to do it in a participatory way. However, if that does not happen, make sure to communicate the vision clearly to everyone.

 
5. Design an action plan with short-term and long term goals. The plan should not only include goals and activities for each stage, starting from small to more complex ones, but it must precisely indicate the expected results, and how “change” would like at the end of the project. The plan will be a guiding document to the change management team.

 
6. Embrace consistency - The final step in this change model of management is to permanently integrate the changes and the new strategies by embedding them in the company’s culture.

 Considerations:

Do not impose change on people. Change should be an integrated element of a strategy for improvement.

Openly communicate the reasons for change.

Identify tools to develop a strategy and an implementation plan.

Empower with the process!

Perform a stakeholder analysis before creating the change management team

Train the management team on principles and approaches of change management

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