One of the things we tend to forget, whether it is from a project or operational standpoint, is
the people factor. Business Transformation Management addresses that very
concept. It deals directly with handling the communication, stakeholders and
any potential resistance that might be met along the way as a result of new
changes that might be introduced. If you’re thinking that this sounds like
organizational change management, you might be on the right track. The main difference
here is that the focus is on the business partners and the transition that they
will need to make, thus Business Transition Management.
As many people will probably tell you the most
challenging piece of any change is the people component. In every group there
is going to someone who is adverse to change. So what is the best way to get
them to buy-in to what we are doing? In my experience I like to look at this
from the other angle.
“What will happen if we don’t make the change?”
I find that while some people may have difficulty with
change, they are far more likely to avoid any type of pain than anything else. This
is where the verbiage in the discussion with the business is important. Outlining
what we will gain as well as what challenges we will see if we do not act on
this particular business initiative is going to nudge those who may on the
fence. We need to speak in terms that the audience will clearly understand in
their business language. While this is only the beginning we need to start with
a foundation. Actions speak louder than words so while we may talk a good game
we will need to prove that we are capable of executing.
Now that we have put down the foundation, communicated
our intentions and delivered on some initial changes, we need to keep the momentum
going. To be successful we need to reiterate the sense of urgency in the change
that we are making. Regular communications with all stakeholders is critical.
This will ensure that all people are informed on the progress as well as what
is coming up next. This is the ‘management’ part of business transformation
management.
In essence this module reinforced that we need to manage
all change activities with the business. In my own experiences I have seen
where not following through takes a solid start to a sputtering finish.
For more information check the BRMI and consider membership to
reap the full benefits available.
Feel free to send me questions, comments or any other
feedback
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