Change is inevitable. So are challenges. The much-cited statistic \u2014 that 75% of organizational change efforts fail \u2014 keeps holding, in spite of decades of growth in the field of change management.<\/p>\n
The need to figure out how to \u201cdo change\u201d has many companies seeking outside help for their change\u00a0efforts, from hiring a single consultant to engaging one or more outside firms to help initiate and implement\u00a0critical new initiatives.<\/p>\n
As a senior leader, HR executive, or Organizational Development professional, you may be the one to bring in external change advisors or hire a\u00a0consulting firm.<\/p>\n
Here are 5 questions you should explore as you embark on major changes and before you start evaluating possible partners.<\/p>\n
Be specific about what\u2019s changing and why. Has a new strategy been set in response to market conditions? Is a merger pending? Is innovation now imperative?<\/p>\n
Within the change, what\u2019s clearly going to be different, what will stay the same, and what\u2019s uncertain? Where are you in the process? What\u2019s the timeline and level of urgency? What happens if the change fails?<\/p>\n
Also, as you map out which functions or levels or locations will be affected, describe the nature\u00a0of the change. Will people need to change the way they work individually (for example, a new IT\u00a0system that will require adopting completely new procedures) or change the way they work\u00a0collectively (in new teams or across different boundaries, for example)?<\/p>\n
Is a mindset shift required \u2014 do they need to think differently about themselves, the brand, or the market?<\/p>\n
Whether the executive team is initiating major organizational change or managers are enacting\u00a0change within their function, the people in charge can be an obstacle or an asset.<\/p>\n
How aligned and committed is the senior leadership team<\/a>? Does senior leadership take sides or are they \u201call in\u201d with the change? What are the team dynamics? What is their readiness to lead the change? Or do they see themselves doing the change work, or delegating the change effort?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re part of this team, these questions may be easier to answer than if you’re not; either way, these can be difficult to address.<\/p>\n Be sure the change advisor you choose is equipped to\u00a0deal with senior team dynamics alongside the change process.<\/p>\n Too frequently, leaders focus on the measurable, technical side of the business. They manage\u00a0the business and manage the change.<\/p>\n While business systems are indispensable tools, structural\u00a0change management is\u00a0only half the change equation<\/a>. To gain the desired results from a new direction, system, or initiative, you need the benefit of change leadership along with change management.<\/p>\n Change leadership is the human side of change. It\u2019s what aligns talent and culture with the strategy. It\u2019s about how people work and how they feel about the work.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to identify the beliefs and behaviors necessary to face change and execute the business strategy \u2014 and invest in developing leaders who are capable of navigating the phases of change and helping others through as well.<\/p>\n This is the culture question, and it often comes up when change isn\u2019t going well or isn\u2019t resulting\u00a0in expected outcomes.<\/p>\n Culture can make or break a strategy, a merger, or a business transformation.<\/p>\n Leaders create and sustain culture by how they communicate, decide, focus, and engage with each other and the organization. These choices express and change \u201cwho we are, what we believe, and how we do things around here.\u201d These powerful cultural norms determine how your organization grows its capabilities and achieves its goals.<\/p>\n Organizational culture can be strengthened or changed, integrated with another culture, or\u00a0fundamentally transformed, depending on the gap between the organizational culture you have and the culture you need<\/a>.<\/p>\n Organizational change consultants and advisors come in many packages. Do you need technical or expert advice on the structure, systems, and processes you\u2019re changing? Change management support? Or, are you seeking to develop the leadership and organizational capabilities to get the job done?<\/p>\n Do you need a turnkey approach or are you willing to knit together various external\u00a0and internal partners?<\/p>\n Also, consider whether you prefer a prescriptive approach or a facilitative approach. The first involves the consultant providing a diagnosis and recommendation based on their expertise and with less collaboration and input from your team. The second focuses more on the dynamics of the client and process, with active team and leader involvement. Solutions are shaped and co-created.<\/p>\n Most efforts will combine some of each, but if you have a strong mismatch between\u00a0expectation and approach, you and your leadership team will be disappointed and your change\u00a0efforts will suffer further.<\/p>\n The answers to these questions are never simple \u2014 but they\u2019ll help you think through how best to proceed as you identify the people and the approach that your organization needs to improve the process and outcomes of change.<\/p>\n If your organization is considering hiring a change consultant, connect with us. Our Organizational Leadership experts can partner with you to drive organizational culture change and transformation, starting with Senior Leadership Team Development<\/a> and scaling change across your entire enterprise with Organizational Change & Transformation<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Are you trying to drive organizational culture change? If so, consider these 5 questions before you hire a change consultant or identify a partner to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":49467,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49466","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-change-transformation","categories-senior-teams","categories-organizational-culture-change","categories-organizational-leadership","audience-executives","audience-hr-consultants","region-global","article-type-leading-effectively-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3. Are we struggling to manage, or struggling to lead<\/em>?<\/h4>\n
4. Is who we are getting in the way of what we need to do?<\/h4>\n
5. What kind of help do we want?<\/h4>\n
A Closing Thought on Hiring a Change Consultant<\/h2>\n
Ready to Take the Next Step?<\/h2>\n