Comments on: Is the field of change management saddled by best practices? http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/ Change by Design: Insight at the intersection of work+life Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:32:46 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mili Lewis http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Mili Lewis Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:01:07 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-409 Mark, Agree you view. I think the business representative or client bears a responsibilty to communicate desired change targets and the 'consultant' activity of the change management role to draw these out and articulate them as measures for improvement. Violent agreement should be the result, if not go round the loop again. Mili Mark, Agree you view. I think the business representative or client bears a responsibilty to communicate desired change targets and the 'consultant' activity of the change management role to draw these out and articulate them as measures for improvement. Violent agreement should be the result, if not go round the loop again.
Mili

]]> By: Mark Cichonski http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-401 Mark Cichonski Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:12:49 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-401 Getting the "big stuff" done is usually the challenge. The theme of the responses is pretty clear. Regardless of best practices, it is usually up to the change leader to figure out how to flex them to the situation at hand and be able to meet the stakeholders desire. Best practices are frameworks to be used as guidelines. The more you use them, the better you can adapt them to the situation. I think it takes someone with an execution bias as well as the business savvy to understand how to do the basics. By the basics I mean taking some current state, helping the change targets understand what they want and then getting them there. Getting the "big stuff" done is usually the challenge. The theme of the responses is pretty clear. Regardless of best practices, it is usually up to the change leader to figure out how to flex them to the situation at hand and be able to meet the stakeholders desire. Best practices are frameworks to be used as guidelines. The more you use them, the better you can adapt them to the situation. I think it takes someone with an execution bias as well as the business savvy to understand how to do the basics. By the basics I mean taking some current state, helping the change targets understand what they want and then getting them there.

]]> By: Organizational change remains notoriously elusive :: RiverFork Consulting | Change Management by Design http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-365 Organizational change remains notoriously elusive :: RiverFork Consulting | Change Management by Design Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:01:10 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-365 [...] about the missing results from the field of change management and how change leaders are saddled by surface level change management best practices. This is why I write about why change management needs a big dose of design thinking — a problem [...] [...] about the missing results from the field of change management and how change leaders are saddled by surface level change management best practices. This is why I write about why change management needs a big dose of design thinking — a problem [...]

]]> By: Successful change happens by design :: RiverFork Consulting | Change Management by Design http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-357 Successful change happens by design :: RiverFork Consulting | Change Management by Design Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:35:18 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-357 [...] leader, do not have a problem solving approach to address HOW to design change, you are left with surface level change management best practices that do little to render results. This seems obvious, doesn’t it? It seems really clear that [...] [...] leader, do not have a problem solving approach to address HOW to design change, you are left with surface level change management best practices that do little to render results. This seems obvious, doesn’t it? It seems really clear that [...]

]]> By: RiverFork http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-341 RiverFork Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:34:59 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-341 Hi Angela, Well said! Thanks for the comments. I suppose I question the models and tools because the emphasis, it seems, is more on the tool than the judgment to realize results. Thanks again and enjoy the day. ~Melissa Hi Angela,
Well said! Thanks for the comments. I suppose I question the models and tools because the emphasis, it seems, is more on the tool than the judgment to realize results. Thanks again and enjoy the day.
~Melissa

]]> By: @astauder http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-340 @astauder Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:14:07 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-340 Best practices give us a good map of territory others have covered before, and yet the best map is just a model or tool. Change leaders must have a deep competence in exploring unknown terrain, making decisions in the face of uncertainty, and dealing with the ever changing conditions. The best change leaders recognize when the wind is changing directions, or when it makes sense to turn around and try a different road when the one they are traveling is blocked, or to pause and regroup rather than depleting resources in the face of an unmovable obstacle. Best practices are options that work much of the time -- they are not recipes to follow with guaranteed results. It is a foolish explorer who ignores lessons learned over time from those who have gone before or from his or her own mistakes, but to blindly attempt to retrace another’s steps isn’t leadership – it is insanity. Best practices are one of many tools in a change leader’s tool kit, and the best change leaders have the wisdom and flexibility to follow the path when it makes sense, and to explore a different path when conditions call for it. Best practices give us a good map of territory others have covered before, and yet the best map is just a model or tool. Change leaders must have a deep competence in exploring unknown terrain, making decisions in the face of uncertainty, and dealing with the ever changing conditions. The best change leaders recognize when the wind is changing directions, or when it makes sense to turn around and try a different road when the one they are traveling is blocked, or to pause and regroup rather than depleting resources in the face of an unmovable obstacle.

Best practices are options that work much of the time — they are not recipes to follow with guaranteed results. It is a foolish explorer who ignores lessons learned over time from those who have gone before or from his or her own mistakes, but to blindly attempt to retrace another’s steps isn’t leadership – it is insanity. Best practices are one of many tools in a change leader’s tool kit, and the best change leaders have the wisdom and flexibility to follow the path when it makes sense, and to explore a different path when conditions call for it.

]]> By: RiverFork http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-337 RiverFork Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:53:40 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-337 Hi Mili, Thanks for your comments! You noted, "est practice will give you tools and methodology to apply, the hard work is evaluating if it will work in the situation you face, and what else you could try to get the job done." Spot on! Excellent points. ~Melissa Dutmers Hi Mili,
Thanks for your comments! You noted, "est practice will give you tools and methodology to apply, the hard work is evaluating if it will work in the situation you face, and what else you could try to get the job done."

Spot on! Excellent points.
~Melissa Dutmers

]]> By: Mili Lewis http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-334 Mili Lewis Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:32:29 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-334 I woul also add that I have seen Quality Management fall into the same trap. In some instances the attainment of ISO can 'blind' a comany into thinking it is doing things in a quality fashion and continuously improving if it follows the best practice documentation and process. However, unless the situation is well understood that may well not be the 'real' case. I woul also add that I have seen Quality Management fall into the same trap. In some instances the attainment of ISO can 'blind' a comany into thinking it is doing things in a quality fashion and continuously improving if it follows the best practice documentation and process. However, unless the situation is well understood that may well not be the 'real' case.

]]> By: Mili Lewis http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-333 Mili Lewis Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:25:46 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-333 On the communication front, get professional advice on how to craft messages, it is important to get it right because it affects so many people's attitude to the change. If done badly it will introduce unnecessary barriers, no matter how often communications were sent. Bad content frequently sent will cause more problems than good comms content infrequently sent is my view, but would welcome other opinions On the communication front, get professional advice on how to craft messages, it is important to get it right because it affects so many people's attitude to the change. If done badly it will introduce unnecessary barriers, no matter how often communications were sent. Bad content frequently sent will cause more problems than good comms content infrequently sent is my view, but would welcome other opinions

]]> By: Mili Lewis http://riverforkconsulting.com/2009/11/09/is-the-field-of-change-management-saddled-by-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-332 Mili Lewis Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:24:03 +0000 http://riverforkconsulting.com/?p=1021#comment-332 It all depends on who, where, what etc the prevailing situation presents. Best practice will give you tools and methodology to apply, the hard work is evaluating if it will work in the situation you face, and what else you could try to get the job done. In some situations it encourages 'laziness' in approach, and can stop people relating to what is 'real' because they are slavishly following the process. I have seen this happen with project management, lots of best practice, lots of plans and still there are failures in deliveries. I fear change management could suffer a similar fate. It all depends on who, where, what etc the prevailing situation presents. Best practice will give you tools and methodology to apply, the hard work is evaluating if it will work in the situation you face, and what else you could try to get the job done. In some situations it encourages 'laziness' in approach, and can stop people relating to what is 'real' because they are slavishly following the process. I have seen this happen with project management, lots of best practice, lots of plans and still there are failures in deliveries. I fear change management could suffer a similar fate.

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