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When Planned Changes Evolve…… How to Cope With Changes to Planned Change
Planning for change is one thing. Planning when changes happen is another. Here, we look at how to cope with changes in change management.
Whether a business is looking to keep themselves on a structured course, or looking to be more innovative, planning for the possibility of change is an essential skill that they need to learn. For those managers who are looking to hone these skills change management training can be a real help.
Change Management: Planned change
Planned change is the carefully structured route that is considered for preparing an entire business, or at the least, a large part of it for any future goals. Planned change is the thing you can plan for. However, there are always things along the way that may occur that you couldn’t plan for, and this is where your planned changes need to evolve to what is happening around them. Having a plan is good, but any company needs to be prepared to adapt. Suddenly, to changes around it, whether this is increased marketplace competition of new market demands.
There are several ways in which a company can evolve to these changes.
It is widely accepted that there are three different planned change models, and how you adapt will depend on which one you are using.
The Kurt Lewin 3 step change model
This model offers a general framework for planned change that suggests three ways you can approach change. The first involves taking note of the results of an organization-wide survey, the second making a move about the organization’s behavior, this will need an intervention, and the third, which looks to move the company into the stability of a new equilibrium. Under this model, it is important to realize that you need first to accept that what you have in place needs to be put to one side for changes to occur.
Change management: Action Research Model
This model, which may also be referred to as participatory action research, is popular with change management consultants. If you follow this model, then actioning changes will require significant collaboration between externals and staff. Before any planning and action occur, you should spend time gathering data and diagnosing the issues; the key is to put in the leg work before making any changes.
Positive Model
This model is a little different from the other two and focuses on what an organization is doing that is going well and how any existing capabilities can be put to good use to help the organization improve. Playing an organization’s strength can have its benefits and, of course, some negatives as well.
Whichever model an organization follows, it is important to adapt to any changes that occur as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure that the disruption to the plans that are already in place is minimized. Being aware of all the methods that could help you adapt better is the first step towards ensuring you’re missed out when something unexpected happens.
