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Organizational Change Management

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What is Organizational Change Management?


Organizational Change Management (OCM) is a framework designed to effectively prepare, equip, and support individuals in successfully adopting and sustaining business changes, from start to finish.


Simply put, OCM is the people side of change.



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Understanding the difference between OCM and IT change management is critical to success. There are many methodologies and frameworks to support change, but at the end of the day, they all have the same goal: to increase adoption success by helping you manage resistance.

 

Read on to learn more, or get started with free downloadable templates in the Planview OCM Resource Library →

 

 

           

Fundamentals to achieving OCM

 

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10 steps to effective change

 

 

 


Whether you’re driving towards foundational project management standards in your organization or on a maturity journey towards SAFe, Strategic Portfolio Management, Lean Portfolio Management, or your own hybrid version of Agile, OCM is a critical component.

It’s important to remember that OCM is not just a single line item that you can check off your task list, but a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations. 

OCM is about building a culture that gets excited about change and supports continuous improvement.

Recommended reading
 
What is Change Management? (Procsi)

 

           

           

Why does OCM matter?


Change is unavoidable, and your teams will either run from it or embrace it. Embracing change is crucial for innovation and maintaining a competitive advantage.


Change management will help you drive project success. If your projects are behind schedule, over budget, or lack employee engagement, it’s time to start asking why, and discovering how a strategic change plan will help you meet or exceed your objectives.
 

Effective OCM includes:

  • Helping employees adapt to new processes, technologies, or strategies
  • Minimizing resistance to ensure a smoother transition
  • Communication planning
  • Training programs
  • Stakeholder engagement
     

Benefits of OCM:

  • Smoother transitions: Periods of change are easier and less complicated, such as implementing new product or value stream management processes.
  • Increased employee engagement: Employees are actively involved in the change process, with concerns addressed and support provided, leading to higher engagement.
  • Effective communication: Leadership's communication of the organizational vision is strengthened, fostering trust and reducing resistance.
  • Improved adaptability: Continuous learning, flexibility, and a willingness to embrace change are encouraged, enabling quicker responses to market shifts and keeping the organization ahead of the curve.
  • Increased innovation: Employees are encouraged to think creatively, challenge existing processes, and propose new ideas.
     


Prosci is the global industry standard for change management practitioners worldwide and the Prosci ADKAR® ® Model – A Proven Framework for Individual Change – is used by organizations across the globe. From Microsoft to Planview, leaders have proven that their change management efforts are worth the time and effort.

In a recent Prosci survey, project managers were asked to rate their dedication to change management vs. the success rate of their project. The results were clear that change management directly correlates to strong results and outcomes.

 

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  • Projects with excellent change management were 7x more likely to meet or achieve project objectives than those with poor change management.

  • Spending the time upfront building awareness and bringing their people along for the journey is proven to help drive change successfully.

  • Leaders who planned thoughtful, timely communications and stayed engaged reported higher rates of adoption of their new process and improved employee morale.

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Recommended reading
 

 

           

           

How do organizations typically handle change?


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Whether it is an HR, Product, IT, or leadership change, more often than not, we see organizations rush through major changes to push them out as quickly as possible. 
 

Does the “plan” look familiar?

  • An email regarding the change is sent out on Monday
  • Training for the change is on Tuesday
  • Go-live of the change is on Wednesday
     

This common pattern is not the way to prepare individuals for successful transformation. There is a better way to move smoothly and successfully to the desired future state. People need time to work through the phases of change.

 

           

           

Prosci’s ADKAR® Model


The Prosci ADKAR® Model guides individuals towards change, from start to finish. ADKAR® defines the following phases of change, which can be used like "building blocks" for any change – no matter how big or small. 
 

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Awareness of the need for change

Desire to support the change

Knowledge on how to change

Ability to implement new skills and behaviors

Reinforcement to make the change stick 

 

 



This model is based on the idea that individual success leads to organizational success, because there is one common denominator in every change – and that is people.


ADKAR® helps us understand the stages individuals go through during change and how to support them effectively.  Its proven techniques are vital for leading change across diverse industries and can be used both professionally and personally. What’s great about ADKAR® is that each phase is a “building block” … all together they create a strong foundation for successful change, but we can’t successfully change until we have gone through each phase.


Smooth, successful change is not instantaneous. It takes time for individuals to work through the phases of change. Starting with early awareness to build general knowledge and spreading the why message early and often will lead to higher levels of commitment.


Utilizing ADKAR® will help you develop a change plan that focuses on individual change. Techniques like active listening and feedback loops will help address concerns and provide support to overcome that resistance.
 

 

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Recommended reading

 

           

           

How does ADKAR® work with OCM?

Awareness Desire Knowledge Ability Reinforcement

Start engaging
Talk, share, and prepare with individuals at your organization.

Analyze your current state
Use data to show inefficiencies in the current state​.

Make the business case
Outline benefits, success criteria, and OKRs aligned with strategies and outcomes.

Communicate your plan
Raise awareness across stakeholders.

Engage with stakeholders
Involve the right people in prescribed activities​..

Address concerns
Provide a platform for people to express concerns and questions, and tackle them with transparency.

Use incentives
Show what’s in it for the individuals involved, such as ease of work, better balance, or skill development​.

Start training
Develop clear training paths to meet individual needs​.

Conduct workshops
Conduct hands-on workshops to familiarize individuals with new processes, systems, and tools​.

Create documentation
Design materials for individuals to use as a reference later​.

Develop a coaching structure
Create a support system to help individuals adapt to the new way of working​.

Start a pilot program
Use small, manageable goals to implement the change​.

Measure your performance
Set measurable goals (OKRs) that align with the strategies and outcomes of the implementation.

Adopt regular check-ins
Conduct regular reviews to the status of the individual in the change as applied to the implementation​.

Share success stories
Share success stories and best practices across the organization to reinforce the change.

Encourage continuous improvement
Review what worked and what did not, and start planning for the next change.

 

           

           

How do I learn more about OCM?


While change initiatives may be necessary, they are not easy. Thankfully, understanding how best to manage change can help smooth out the rough spots. To support your OCM learning journey, check out our on-demand methodology courses at the University of Planview. We offer three key courses:

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To access these direct course links, you must first register with your work email on the University of Planview to receive your account approval confirmation.

Upon completion of all three 30-minute courses, you will earn an official Planview OCM badge that can be share on social and add to your e-mail signature.
 


After learning more about OCM, you might be wondering how to bring OCM to your organization.

 

Tips to help get you started:

  • Identify areas in need of change management ​
  • Remember successful OCM is not a one-size-fits-all approach
  • Understand the required fundamentals to achieve successful organizational change
  • Ongoing monitoring and adaptation are essential to ensure that the changes are sustained and continue to deliver the desired outcomes
     

 

           

           

Who can I contact for expert help?

 

           

 

 

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