What Is Change Management?

Organisational change is something many of us will experience in our careers, often more than once, yet many managers find themselves tasked with managing business continuity whilst change is taking place, yet have received little change management training or have little experience in managing change. This may sound familiar.

Leading and managing change in an organisation is critical if the change is to be achieved within timescales, budget and with a committed and engaged workforce. Often change programmes confuse and distract people from their everyday work; productivity becomes affected with uncertainty regarding the future becoming the preoccupation of many.

Good training for managers is essential. Senior managers must be able to communicate the strategic vision clearly, be able to explain the purpose and gain the commitment of middle managers quickly. Middle managers are often the key to successful change programmes, they face more questions from their colleagues and team members and are under mixed pressures of implementation, dealing with their own uncertainties and emotions, finding solutions to unexpected problems during changes and acting as a conduit between those they manage and those they report to.

Investment in change management training to create leaders with more tools in their managerial and leadership toolbox, goes a long way to improve the quality of the experience many have when going through change in the workplace.

Good change management training should ensure that delegates develop
• A comprehensive understanding of change management strategy
• Be aware of the principles of successful change programmes
• Have knowledge of models of change management
• Strategic vision
• Tactical panning for improved implementation of change
• An exploration of Emotional Intelligence EI and be able to put it into practice
• Increased self awareness of how they cope and deal with change
• Coaching skills for use in the workplace
• Advanced communication skills of effective leadership

The provision of coaching for managers in organisations that are involved in change has long been recognised as being beneficial. All to often a main source of tension and stress for the manager lies in the fact that they feel unable or unwilling to discuss their thoughts and feelings with others whilst coping with the change they have been tasked to manage.

External coaching goes a long way to both relieving that stress and tension. The coachee having the opportunity to verbalise thoughts & feelings, explore and develop strategies, review difficult situations with a coach that is separate from the organisation, in a safe confidential and non judgemental environment.