You’ve heard me bang on many times about the need to really learn lessons from change to get better.
All too often we merrily do the retrospective or the post-project review. BUT we don’t then encode the lessons into our processes and our thinking to avoid them next time.
May I share a snippet from a recent client conversation...
Me: So, you've got the scope of the project agreed and you've got the resources approved to deliver it?
Them: Yeah!
Me: And you've engaged the right people in the solution and the board are buying it?
Them: Yes!
Me: Most people would love to be in that situation, and you've still got issues? Tell me more...
Ever find yourself wondering why change isn’t getting easier?
The issue might be that you aren’t building the right change capability.
According to the latest McKinsey research on the change readiness of organisations, almost half of your team members and colleagues believe that more change is coming, BUT you’re not building the skills to deliver and adopt it.
Would it surprise you to know that, despite most organisations (and people) knowing more change is coming, only 40% of people think they have time to adopt new ways of working? More worryingly, only 55% of people believe that change management skills are being developed in their organisations.
That was the dismal statistic we were discussing in a change readiness webinar I attended last week. It’s based on the latest McKinsey research on the change readiness of organisations.
Unless you’ve been living on a desert island, you’ll have heard me bang on about the importance of involving users in change. (And if you have been living on a desert island, I’d like some photos of your view please!)
But even if you’ve bought in to the argument about engaging your users, you might be coming at it from the wrong angle.
You might not know it, but you have a change trigger. (No, I’m not talking about that song that reminds you of your first rejection at the school disco).
And, without knowing it, it’s getting in the way of you being as awesome as we both know you are.
Let me explain. Different types of change affect people in different ways. There will be types of change that you react much more strongly to.
I can’t count how many post-implementation reviews or lessons learned sessions I’ve led. I do them for every change I’m involved in.
But here’s the kicker. No matter how experienced, professional or motivated the team – I’ve never had a review where nothing went wrong. I’ve never had that unicorn of a meeting where we all agreed it went marvellously and headed to the pub for a well-earned glass of fizz.
Overheard in a coaching session recently….
Me: So, you think you’re confident with change?
Client: Yes. I react really positively to it.
Me: Really? Because that new service you were asked to deliver last year really sent you through a loop…
Are you struggling to make change at the pace you need?
Yes? Trust me, you’re not alone!
Are you a ‘caver’?
I mean, do you cave in and give up too easily when you’re told your plans might not be possible or your timelines are unreasonable?
Well, cavers live in the dark. And that’s not where you want to be, is it?
Look, I know the reality of making change happen in a demanding business. We’ve all heard the analogy of changing the wheels while the car is moving.
I almost spat my mint tea over my screen with laughter.
We were discussing how to make time for development in a coaching wrap up session and one joyfully defiant comment really tickled me.
Layering in additional stuff just leads to distraction and overwhelm. All organisations have a finite capacity for change – regardless of how much money you choose to throw at it.
What have you learned about making change stick in the pandemic?
The pandemic has shown us that there are better ways to deliver change – cheaper, faster and with fewer people.
Heavy, cumbersome transformation programmes have no place in a post-COVID world.
Research from McKinsey and Company shows that 70% of all transformations fail – and not communicating a powerful vision is a key contributing factor.
Have you pushed decision-making as low as you can? Or are you finding yourself marking others’ homework?
The success of the NHS vaccine rollout, combined with the meeting of all key dates so far, is making future promises feel more credible. More reliable.
And some of those same principles underpin any successful change roadmap.
I get the idea of selling a dream, but this email was totally out of touch with reality. And, most importantly, out of touch with their end users – their customers.
It reminded me of why so many change plans are going wrong right now.
Change is about taking calculated risks and managing them.
It’s about setting a direction, accepting you don’t yet know how to get there and gathering a team who just might help you find the way.
I loved horror B-movies when I was younger. Who can forget The Fly? Or Halloween? But there’s a horror story unfolding in many organisations right now: The Revenge of the Cancelled Project!
I’ve been talking to my network of Sponsors – some of whom I coach – about how they are finding life at the moment.
