Change can be daunting. It's not just about creating a business case for a new system, mastering new processes or implementing a new technology — it's about managing the people who must transition to a new way of doing things.
As a consultant who's worked with hundreds of firms on impactful strategic initiatives, I've seen many firms try to approach change with logic and numbers. While logic and numbers are essential components, they leave out an important aspect of the conversation: how people feel about it.
A key insight I gained from completing my Prosci Change Management Practitioner Certification was the understanding that organizations don't change. Individuals change, and people drive organizational change. With that in mind, let's explore ways to harness the collective capability of our people to embrace, adapt, and actively contribute to change.
Step 1: Understand the vision for your firm
You need a clear vision to drive the necessary changes in your firm. Without understanding the long-term plans and goals of the organization, it can be challenging to determine which changes need to be implemented and why. Without a clear vision, it can also be difficult to communicate the importance of the changes to your team and clients.
Step 2: Involve the right people
Organizational change should not be a top-down process. Instead, it should involve different stakeholders at all levels of an organization so that everyone can provide input and feedback on how the changes could impact their work.
Build a cross-functional team of people impacted by the change and determine what matters to them. Have honest conversations about how they feel, what's keeping them up at night, where they see opportunities personally, and how they feel about being part of the firm. This will help ensure that any new initiatives or strategies align with those affected by the change.
Step 3: Measure what matters
Peter Drucker is often credited with the saying, "What gets measured gets managed."
Many firms don't measure the right things to drive the change that leads to transformation. They're still measuring realization, utilization, and billable hours, which creates a missed opportunity. Metrics to assess progress with change include employee engagement, change adoption rate, communication effectiveness, training and development impact, employee satisfaction and well-being, feedback and perception, leadership support, and retention and turnover.
Including people-focused change metrics will give the best insights to help drive organizational change.
Step 4: Support people
How do your people feel about the changes you want to make in your firm over the next one to five years?
Chances are, you've never asked them. Many firm leaders would rather avoid the people side of change, but it is essential to understand what people need from an emotional standpoint to help get them on board.
Perhaps you're telling people that investing in new technology and process improvement will improve their lives, but your culture contradicts that by emphasizing busy season and working long hours. Busy season — and the hours that come with it — contradict well-being.
It's difficult to drive change if you are not supporting the heart of change, which is your people. There are so many skilled and talented people working in your firm, and you have an opportunity to learn from them what is needed to change effectively.
When you leverage this potential, you can create a competitive differentiator for your firm. Instead of trying to command and control change, work to empower and inspire by supporting your people.
Step 5: Act on feedback
Acting on feedback is essential for a successful change process because it allows leaders to craft solutions that consider the needs of everyone involved — from staff to end users — and create an organization-wide experience that supports the desired outcome.
When team members see their input taken seriously and acted upon, it establishes trust in leadership, which can help build momentum for new initiatives.
Finally, acting on feedback gives employees a sense of ownership over the change process, which can help drive engagement and commitment to new strategies or plans. Ultimately, taking action on the feedback you receive helps ensure successful organizational change management by creating alignment between those leading the change effort and those affected by it.
Transitioning to a new way of doing business is no small feat. There is no simple solution, and it is crucial to remember the power of people — undoubtedly one of the strongest forces for change. Focusing on what matters and supporting the people involved will be fundamental to the success of this process.
As leaders, we must guide people through this transformation and set an example that encourages their growth. The individual contributions that lead to meaningful change will define our collective success within our organizations, so let us drive transformations that make a lasting impact.
