Dive Deeper: How to Lead Change Management<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n Make change easier than ever with WalkMe. Request a demo.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n10 commandments for change management leaders<\/h2>\n
1. You shall clarify the need for change.<\/h3>\nIn the era of digital transformation, change feels like a near-constant occurrence. New software, new analytics, a renewed website, new employees, new management structures\u2026 the list continues.\n\nSome call this progress or evolution, but for employees, facing numerous change initiatives simultaneously is exhausting. The effects of organizational change<\/a> fatigue can be damaging enough to derail your entire transformation effort if you\u2019re not careful.\n\nOne of the most effective ways to prevent this is to make the need for this specific change clear to all relevant stakeholders. Everyone affected by the proposed change should know exactly why it\u2019s necessary, what\u2019s involved to bring it to fruition, what their role in the change is, and how their daily work will be different.\n
2. You shall foster a sense of ownership and commitment.<\/h3>\nThe most significant factor of successful change is the degree of ownership and commitment displayed by organizational
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leaders, according to a survey from McKinsey<\/a>. Organizations with leaders who raise the bar high, set bold goals, and instill accountability will be positioned to thrive.\n\nBut leaders cannot shoulder change \u2014 especially one that affects the whole organization \u2014 alone. While those at the top set the vision and strategy, it is those on the frontlines who will determine its success.\n\nEffective change leaders look for ways to instill feelings of ownership and commitment among staff. Through personalization, new opportunities, tailored training, and other approaches, you can develop authentic support and commitment to the change.\n3. You shall prioritize change efforts in a realistic way.<\/h3>\nMost big changes come with several other changes tucked inside. For instance, suppose the decision to upgrade your CRM also demands a new software onboarding model, the addition of BI specialist, and expanded IT capacity.\n\nMaybe that\u2019s just one set of changes out of a few others \u2014 a new CEO is transitioning in, the company just established a joint venture\u2026\n\nThere\u2019s a lot going on at all times<\/a>, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s critical to address each change according to priority. Attempting to do everything at once is a fast track to change fatigue, not to mention spreading your attention (and resources) too thin.\n\nSome changes are urgent, while others can wait. Some changes depend on completing another first. Map these out and plan a realistic route before you start to drive.\n
4. You shall provide sufficient resources and support tools to staff.<\/h3>\nEmployees are often the ones bearing the brunt of change, so it\u2019s important to make it as easy and painless as possible. Providing effective support tools to staff is one of the most effective ways to do so.\n\nSay you\u2019re implementing a new CRM, like in the example above. The interface is complex and not as intuitive as you\u2019d like, and there seems to be an endless array of features. While no one doubts the tool\u2019s capabilities, they certainly doubt their personal ability to use them.\n\nThis is where most businesses run into trouble \u2014 they lack a solution to achieve digital adoption<\/a>. But unless their employees can maximize the full range of the software\u2019s features, they will never realize their full potential.\n\nSupport solutions<\/a> that guide users through processes, irrespective of their current level of proficiency, instantly alleviate the stress and frustration<\/a> that goes along with using new software. Not only that, these tools give employees the ability to take advantage of high-level features, not just the basics.\n
5. You shall alleviate the training burden as much as possible.<\/h3>\nChange usually demands some level of training<\/a>. Relying on outdated methods (classroom learning sessions, webinars, or
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printed manuals) is risky. When it comes to software training, these approaches usually lead to low knowledge retention and a lot of wasted time.\n\nDigital training solutions that enable contextual learning<\/a> are the most effective methods. These tools provide in-app guidance based on a user\u2019s individual factors, including everything from their position in the company, department goals, prior user behavior, to the time of day.\n\nThrough a series of navigational cues and prompts, contextual learning solutions walk a user through any process step-by-step, so learning and doing happen at the same time.\n6. You shall not overlook the importance of empathy during transformation.<\/h3>\nChange is hard. Change is scary. Change is not the most fun thing (unless you\u2019re a change leader, of course). While you might be busy creating strategy, finding the right support tools and training solutions for employees, don\u2019t forget to have empathy.\n\nIt\u2019s important to understand where employee resistance<\/a> comes from. Most often, it\u2019s not due to laziness or a secret agenda to derail the strategy. Employee resistance comes from feelings of uncertainty and anxiety about how a given change will change the employee\u2019s life for the worse.\n\nBy understanding their concerns and taking practical steps to address them, you can minimize resistance and alleviate negative emotions in your staff.\n
7. You shall seek opportunities for continuous improvement.<\/h3>\nWhen leading change, you must never become complacent with the status quo. Yes, it might have been a long journey to get there, but every destination is really a moving target. It\u2019s important to always look for new ways to improve.\n\nTalk to your employees for ideas \u2014 it\u2019s those \u201cin the trenches\u201d of work who often have the most valuable input. See what your competitors are doing, and what analysts predict. The point is you can\u2019t stand still. Never stop optimizing!\n
8. You shall establish a culture of open communication.<\/h3>\nCommunication is critical for just about every aspect of change. It will be impossible to achieve alignment without it.
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Leaders will never gain employee trust<\/a> without it. Optimization will be a distant dream without it.\n\nThat\u2019s why you should encourage open and honest communication from the outset. Encourage employees to share concerns and ideas for improvement throughout the change process, routine check-ins between employees and managers, and transparency from the C-suite.\n9. You shall define qualitative and quantitive metrics for evaluating your change effort.<\/h3>\nAs part of your change strategy, include metrics for assessing the success of your initiative. But don\u2019t wait until the \u201cend\u201d to evaluate it. Determining milestones for assessing progress is an important part of this process. Doing so also allows you to make corrections if you find you\u2019re off course.\n\nSome digital solutions make this an easy endeavor. Say that after implementing that CRM, you want to evaluate how effectively your employees are working with it. With a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP)<\/a>, you can gain insights into how many employees are using the software, which processes are the most challenging, and when they \u201cdrop off.\u201d\n\nQualitative metrics like the degree of employee frustration are also critical to monitor. For these, the best approaches are holding check-ins with employees or administering surveys.\n
10. You shall enforce measures of accountability.<\/h3>\nNothing will move forward unless employees feel accountable for the change. There are a few ways to achieve this. One, related to the ninth commandment, is tying employee interest to certain metrics, or key performance indicators (KPIs).\n\nAnother is by redefining certain aspects of employees\u2019 responsibilities so that it becomes their job to see a change through.\n\nBut the most effective way is to generate authentic support and engagement in the change effort. By presenting a compelling, fact-based case for the change, employees will be more likely to believe in the need for it. Then they will be more self-driven when it comes to supporting the change efforts.\n\n