Why Change Management Should Be a Priority for Utilities

(1) ESTABLISH A WORKSHOP SETTING

In the context of this article change management is an organizational discipline, focusing on the human instead of the technological side. In easy terms, change management is ensuring that your people are on board and that they truly adopt new processes resulting from a project or transformation initiative.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT?

Change management is required whenever something interrupts day-to-day operations. Events requiring change management can rank from obvious organizational transformations like mergers to small operational adjustments like the integration of the “beloved” excel-template into the new CRM-tool. An example well-known to our customers could also be the change process of implementing asset management practices in accordance to ISO55000. An organized and well communicated change process can ease tensions while securing sustained employee engagement and thus resulting in a smoother transition process.

In our work as trusted advisors we often visit clients and talk about previous attempts to solve the problem at hand. One of the most frequently named reason for failing a project is resistance to change. In other words a lack in change management. In most cases this is not because change management is ignored but because it is hardly perceived as an active role.

In your organization, do you know somebody with the job title “Change Manager”?
In your projects, is change management a key deliverable (instead of a means to an end)?

No? – You might want to rethink that for future projects.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE CHANGE MANAGER?

Follow our next post for concrete recommendations on how to advance your organisational change management.