It’s Time to Change How We Plan for Change

By Claude Werder, Vice President and Principal HCM Analyst, Brandon Hall Group

Change is constant. Change is inevitable. Change is hard.

We are inundated with these clichés. In our work, we constantly grapple with changing strategies, changing processes, changing technologies.

When Brandon Hall Group conducts HCM technology research, we ask people who complete a technology implementation what they would do differently the next time. The most frequent response is: More/better change management.

Even though change is constant, inevitable and hard, we routinely fail to plan for it – although we’re all familiar with another cliché: failing to plan is planning to fail.

Change does not have to be as difficult as we make it. But improvement is a must. The pace of change in HCM will only gain speed as technology evolves and the workforce evolves with it.

In my experience, when organizations do actively plan and manage change, they tend to go overboard. One company proudly sent me a change management plan for its performance management overhaul – 103 pages. Ouch!

Let’s not make change any more complicated than it already is. At Brandon Hall Group, we frame solutions as simply as possible, so I sent this company our change-management planning tool – one page. (OK, so there are also a few worksheets after that, but you get the idea.)

The key to great change management is simple. Everyone must understand:

  • The business need
  • The value of the change
  • Who is affected
  • What they need to know
  • When they need to know it
  • Who will help you
  • Who will fight you

Then, you can manage the change and address challenges that will inevitably occur.

The biggest problem for most organizations is talking about the change. It may be complicated, but the worst thing you can do is make it sound complicated. Hence the “elevator speech,” a short, compelling explanation about the benefit of the change. Have one perfected before you ever go public. You only get one chance to make a great first impression (I’m on a roll with these clichés, so why stop now?).

I’m making light of a serious subject. With all the change that HCM leaders face in the years ahead, there is no greater challenge, in my opinion, than how we plan for and manage change. Take a look at our tool– I think it can help. And let me know how we can improve it or how you’ve excelled at managing change in your shop.

Claude Werder, Vice President and Principal HCM Analyst, Brandon Hall Group

Claude Werder is Brandon Hall Group’s Vice President and Principal HCM Analyst. He focuses on Leadership Development and Talent Management. Brandon Hall Group is a leading research and analyst firm with Practices in Learning & Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Management/Core HR.

Become a Brandon Hall Group member!

We are a human capital management research and advisory firm with more than 10,000 clients globally. For over 25 years, we have been delivering research-based solutions that empower excellence in organizations around the world. Our vision is to inspire a better workplace experience. Becoming a Brandon Hall Group member means our team joins your team. Membership provides a host of resources and services and – most importantly — a seasoned team of thought leaders and client support professionals dedicated to your success. 

Click here for more information and to sign up for a free trial membership.

Like what you see? Share with a friend.

Mike Cooke

Search

Categories

Stay connected

Get notified for upcoming news subscribing

Related Content

Mike Cooke

Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group Mike Cooke Prior to joining Brandon Hall Group, Mike Cooke was the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of AC Growth. Mike held leadership and executive positions for the majority of his career, at which he was responsible for steering sales and marketing teams to drive results and profitability. His background includes more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, management, and operations in the research, consulting, software and technology industries. Mike has extensive experience in sales, marketing and management having worked for several early high-growth emerging businesses and has implemented technology systems to support various critical sales, finance, marketing and client service functions. He is especially skilled in organizing the sales and service strategy to fully support a company’s growth strategy. The concept of growth was an absolute to Mike and a motivator in starting AC Growth, in order to help organizations achieve research driven results. Most recently, Mike was the VP and General Manager of Field Operations at Bersin & Associates, a global analyst and consulting services firm focused on all areas of enterprise learning, talent management and talent acquisition. Tasked with leading the company’s global expansion, Mike led all sales operations worldwide. During Mike’s tenure, the company has grown into a multi-national firm, conducting business in over 45 countries with over 4,500 multi-national organizations. Mike started his career at MicroVideo Learning Systems in 1992, eventually holding a senior management position and leading all corporate sales before founding Dynamic Minds. Mike was CEO and Co-Founder of Dynamic Minds, a custom developer of software programs, working with clients like Goldman Sachs, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill and Merrill Lynch. Also, Mike worked for Oddcast, a leading provider of customer experience and marketing solutions, where he held a senior management position leading the company into new markets across various industries. Mike also serves on the Advisory Board for Carbon Solutions America, an independent sustainability consulting and carbon management firm that specializes in the design and implementation of greenhouse reduction and sustainability plans as well as managing the generation of carbon and renewal energy and energy efficiency credits. Mike attended University of Phoenix, studying Business Administration and Finance. He has also completed executive training at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL.

Resubscribe to our email distribution list.