Navigating Change: A Practical Approach to Adoption
Organizations go through constant change. At key points in time big changes are required that take a focused effort to help the organization adapt to the new reality. In this blog post, we delve into a recent change management and training project undertaken with a client who needed to transition their workforce to a new system and updated processes. This project exemplifies the impact a focused and pragmatic change management program can have when taking on a major change to core systems and processes.
Our client assembled the technical resources to build and deploy a new system which replaces their core processes. They had a small team supporting ongoing training but knew it was going to take more than their team could handle on their own to equip their staff for the scale of the changes being implemented. At the same time, they wanted to make sure who they hired to help with the change journey took a practical approach to equipping staff.
The Challenge: Equipping without Overwhelming
Embracing change is never easy, especially in a well-established organization with deeply ingrained practices. Our client had a dedicated workforce, but they needed to adapt to new technologies and workflows. This meant not only adopting new tools but also rethinking their approach to work. At the same time, the workforce was already stretched and the approach could not overwhelm. We needed a way to come alongside the daily responsibilities of people and build in the transition to their routines.
The Strategy: A “Better Together” Change Management Approach
We developed an approach to get key staff involved in the project at all levels of the organization. Change was not a process focused on a go-live date or a new job responsibility. Change was a journey that included staff walking alongside the project team as we progressed. Demonstrations of new functionality, key solution reviews, and project status updates were built into the weekly rhythms of the project. Staff felt part of the process rather than having a technology solution handed to them to figure out after it was built.
We built our change strategy on some core building blocks.
The Results: Adoption and Ongoing Learning
After months of dedicated effort, we successfully transitioned to the new systems and processes. The best part was that so many staff felt they were part of the team and had a hand in making it the transition successful. Adoption became a team effort rather than a focus of a few.
This project stands as a testament to the power of practical approach to change management and training. Getting key stakeholders involved in the project who then include their department teams. Work was integrated into existing processes, tools and rhythms. It seems intuitive, but it takes focus on keeping it simple and effective while creating a culture that really believes – we are better if we do this together!