Changemaking

It's ironic that while most people know what conditions need to be in place for effective management of change, these straightforward needs are often missed. The intent gets the attention; the details of execution are forgotten. The elements are simple: listen to the stakeholders, learn about the issues, lead with clarity and involvement, align systems, communicate relentlessly, follow-up and course-correct.Consider who will be most affected; ask questions and listen carefully to the responses. This can be on a small, local scale, through informal conversations. Or it can be on a larger, even corporate-wide scale, through meetings, surveys, social media, focus groups or a combination of methods. If the most important stakeholder group is employees, ask them what they think about what's happening, what their concerns are, what they need and what they think should be done. You'll learn fast; you'll have answers to your own questions; and you'll have the raw material for a plan to address the issue, solve the problem or lead the change.And then make it all work through sustained follow-up. Never assume that things will happen as planned. Is the change working? What needs to happen to make it work better? What's working well and what's not? Assess progress; fix it; keep listening, learning and leading.This book is built around resources that I've developed and used in many years of consulting and teaching about the management of change. Read the first section of each chapter - guidance ideas, short case studies. Then browse the resources (checklists, templates, presentations, tactics, Q&As, talking points, emails). Select and adapt the ones that meet your needs.