by Yolanda E Kruger
Change is never easy. It doesn’t matter whether it is in our lives, our relationships or our workplace. It requires a willingness to change, a compelling reason to change, a compelling vision as to what change would be like and even then it takes discipline to stay the course. If change is enforced upon us, rather than us being in control and willingly taking an informed decision it is all the more difficult.
This is not only true for those affecting change, but also for those being affected by it. When an individual chooses to take the uncertainty of change and make a career out of it, it is especially peculiar. If they also choose to assist others through the process of change it starts to sound a little bit weird. To choose a career in change management is one thing, but to be successful at it takes determination, courage and all the skill one could possibly imagine.
Many change specialists or experts have found to their detriment that it is quite easy to remove the representative of change when situations become uncomfortable or threatening for the stakeholders or the project loses favor or flavor. When it comes to implementing change there is comfort in the fact that the specialist must realize that they are not responsible for the outcome of the exercise. There are many uncontrollable factors and the specialist is normally not empowered to deal with these even if they were involved in the initial stages. The responsibility for the transformation lies with the management team.
Even if the change agent is immensely successful in carrying out the stipulations of the project to a T, the project can still be perceived as a failure, because it might be contrary to a specific stakeholders wishes and that stakeholder might just be very influential. The change agent cannot foresee the insecurities and fears and history and ambitions of every individual stakeholder even though they may know the perilous journey that may lie ahead if they dont.
How the consultant handles the contracting phase before the implementation phase is critical to how the project is eventually perceived and received. The contract guides the actions and thought process through the implementation phases and delivery phases. In order to be successful the contracting phase requires the weighing up of a delicate balance between the requirements and desires of a stakeholder who represents the management team and the status and requirements and fears of the recipients of the change. These may include their own aspirations as well as the limitations that they are confronted with. The consultant might be responsible for the communication regarding the change at all levels and also required to seek buy-in from all stakeholders. If this is the case it needs to be stated clearly.
The position of the change specialist may evolve throughout the change engagement as the project unfolds. The nature and scope of the project and the requirements of the sponsor will directly influence this position and it would not be unlikely that amendments might be made. The change specialist can fulfill the role of an expert, or a collaborative role or the role of an extra pair of hands to get the job done. It is very important that the role of the change specialist is completely defined with the sponsor and that no ambiguity or uncertainty exist that might cause the specialist to deliver differently than what the sponsor expects.
It is impossible for the specialist to exert control over the change exercise as the management team determines how much decision making power is delegated during the change implementation. The specialist advises, measures and reports, but the ultimate decision making power lies with the management team. The perception of the level of success that the specialist is having in aiding the change programmed, is determined by how well they report on and communicate the gaps during the analysis and implementation phases.
Reporting mechanisms and their risks should clearly be specified in the contracting phase as the responsibility of the consultant stops at reporting the detail of the gaps and the effect that it has rather than taking responsibility for them and attempting to solve the problem. That responsibility lies first and foremost with the appropriate managerial levels.
The role of the consultant is not necessarily static as it is dependent on the nature of the project, the requirements of the sponsor and the corporate culture. Consultants must continuously assess that they are still relevant regarding the needs and requirements of the primary sponsor. Consultants can operate in three different modes: as a consultant or expert, as a collaborator or as another pair of hands. A mismatch between the mode the consultant operates in and the desire of the primary sponsor may be inevitably result in the consultant being perceived as unsuccessful.
Tags: ambitions, change management, change specialists, courage, detriment, discipline, fears, implementing change, initial stages, insecurities, little bit, management team, perilous journey, stakeholders, stipulations, transformation, uncertainty, uncontrollable factors, willingness
