Overcoming the Common Challenges
Business transformations are occurring at a quickening pace. Executives charged with meeting the demands of a permanently volatile global economy have one eye on the clock as they assess new technologies, reconsider processes, and evaluate the effectiveness of options from insourcing to outsourcing…
While transformations are a given, success is not. In the rush to find the right formula, many companies fail to consider how their game plan will affect employees, vendors, and customers—the very people you need to ensure adoption and a financial return on the investment.
The Human Side of Change: Three Common Challenges
Business change is highly dependent on people. Organizational challenges for such change fall into three categories:
- Emotional Challenges
Change triggers a variety of emotions—excitement for some, but uncertainty, frustration and anger for others. Negative emotional concerns about change range from resentment to a fear of job loss to active resistance. - Communications Challenges
Good communication with employees, vendors, and customers is essential throughout the change process, not just at key milestones. Without it, expect to see pockets of speculation, mistrust, and rumors. - Execution Challenges
Even well-planned change events can have glitches, but execution challenges can also be self-inflicted. Leadership may not be fully engaged, or positions and structures that are needed to support new organization may fail to materialize.
Any one of these common challenges can derail your change plan—which means they must be anticipated and addressed the early stages, well before the plan is rolled out.
PICK THE CHANGE STRATEGY THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
We have identified three strategies for managing business change. Each requires an extensive communication plan to enable a seamless transition; however, the three differ enough that each change leader must determine which path is best:
Method 1: Just Do It
This top-down approach rolls out specific plans through the leadership chain. It’s an age-old model—one that can be very successful when companies need to have a standard operating template and employees have already braced for change. Dictating change this way can be the wrong strategy for a company that has many high-performing employees.
Method 2: It’s Good For You
The focus here is on leadership’s vision for change—a clear and simple articulation of the direction in which the organization needs to move. It’s based on building consensus and gaining leadership buy-in, equipping people with information to help prepare for change, and providing end-to-end visibility of the transformation.
Method 3: We Are in This Together
This approach is the most collaborative of the three options. Employees are brought into the planning process to create change that meets a concrete, tangible goal. Collectively, they are encouraged to take responsibility for the change plan’s success in reaching the goal.
Of course, there’s no single correct method—but the benefit of choosing the right plan is clear. As a simple example, a $30 million capital investment with a 3x expected return over three years carries a $2.5 million monthly return. Any delays to adoption or resistance to the plan can have a measurable financial impact on your investment and business.
Which Plan is Right for You?
Driving “internalization” of change throughout organizations is a known challenge, yet it is an absolute necessity in reaching stated business goals. Extraordinary results in today’s lightning-fast business environment requires radical shifts in thinking. Our team has the experience and unique qualifications to partner with you on your next business transformation regardless of size or duration.
Whether your organization’s plan involves deploying new technology, creating a shared service model, or outsourcing, SteelBridge Solutions works with you not just for you in developing the right solutions for change.