Change management is a systematic approach to addressing the transition or transformation of an organization's objectives, processes or technologies. It is designed to help people adapt to change and ensure that the expected benefits are achieved. Change management professionals can obtain certifications that recognize their ability to manage projects, manage people and guide an organization through a period of transition or transformation. Change management allows organizations to achieve the return on investment of projects through faster adoption, greater end use, and greater competition. It also encourages future growth by allowing the company to remain dynamic in the market.
Prosci's research on best practices in change management consistently shows that initiatives with excellent change management are six times more likely to meet objectives than those with poor change management. The goal of change management is to drive successful change, which means applying a structured approach to helping individual employees adopt and use the changes that affect them in a competent manner. To do this, project managers or senior executives in charge of change control must examine how a change in one area of the project could affect other areas and what impact that change could have on the project as a whole. Documentation is also a fundamental component of change management, not only to maintain an audit log in case a revocation is necessary, but also to ensure compliance with internal and external controls, including regulatory compliance. When an incremental change is approved, the project manager documents the change in one of the four standard change control systems to ensure that the change request reflects all ideas and points of view. However, changes are not addressed in the middle of an iteration; changes are programmed as stories or functions for future iterations.
The human objectives of a change are what people will do differently as a result of the change in the future state. Change management offers ways to monitor and minimize resistance, while also preparing, equipping and supporting people so that they can successfully transition into their new roles. By quantifying the value of change management and interpreting its benefits in more tangible terms, organizations can ensure that they are able to achieve their desired ROI and remain competitive in their respective markets.
