Organizations must be willing to embrace change if they want to stay ahead of the latest trends and make the market their own. However, simply achieving a successful installation is not enough; there must be a sustained behavioral change for the change to be effective. To increase the likelihood of sustained change, organizations must move from an installation mentality to an implementation mentality in which they manage the human objectives of change. AIM's change management methodology provides a structured process that is based on the structure and management plans of the project.
It is project management from the point of view of the implementation people, with results, tools and measurement evaluations that allow the organization to apply the process where there hasn't been one. Having a vision and mission statement that is committed to change is different from actually making the change. Most organizations don't apply the same rigor to managing the human elements of change as they do to the technical part of a project. Using a structured approach to change management (such as AIM) that ensures that people in the project are managed with the same rigor and discipline as the technical part is essential for maintaining change.
Senior leaders are trying to make multiple complex and large scale changes at a somewhat alarming rate. To ensure that these changes are maintained, it's important to recognize the difference between installation and implementation. Leaders who are content to install often have a false sense of satisfaction that change has occurred and, therefore, that financial performance has been achieved. To ensure sustainable change, all interested parties must understand why it is important. It is also essential to identify someone responsible for ensuring that the change is maintained and help employees make the transition.
Organizations must take a proactive approach when it comes to implementing sustainable change. This means having a clear plan in place that outlines how changes will be implemented, monitored, and evaluated. It also means having a team in place that is dedicated to ensuring that changes are implemented correctly and consistently. Finally, organizations should use data-driven methods to measure progress and ensure that changes are being maintained over time.
