Change management

What is change management?

Change management refers to the process of planning, managing and implementing change in an organization in a systematic and effective way. This usually involves helping employees adapt to and accept change in order to achieve organizational goals and maintain competitiveness.

Change can include anything from implementing new technologies and ways of working to restructuring the organization's structure or changing culture. Change management often involves identifying and minimizing resistance to change, communicating the changes clearly and ensuring employees have the necessary skills and resources to thrive in the new environment.

In a nutshell, good change management is essential to help organizations adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. It's about creating a structured approach to change and ensuring it is implemented with minimal disruption and maximum positive impact.

Why you need to be good at change management

Good change management is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that organizational changes are implemented effectively and successfully. Without proper leadership, change initiatives can easily fail or lose momentum.

Furthermore, good change management helps to reduce resistance. Many employees are naturally reluctant to change, but a competent leader can reduce this resistance by listening to concerns, engaging employees and communicating openly.

An important role of change management is also to motivate and engage employees. This is achieved by presenting an inspiring vision for the future that brings everyone together around common goals.

Good change management also ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals and following the same procedures. This promotes consistency and avoids confusion.

Last but not least, good change management builds an organization that is able to adapt in a constantly changing world. This promotes innovation and strengthens the organization's competitiveness.

Overall, good change management is an investment in the future success of the organization as it helps navigate uncertain times, create a healthy culture and ensure goals are achieved effectively and with minimal resistance.

LEAD's approach to change management

Traditionally, change management has had two approaches. The first, called the "expert approach," involves consultants who manage development and change processes and focus on the organization's structure, governance and processes. The second approach, known as the "process consultant approach," is about letting the members of the organization develop their own solutions.

Unfortunately, none of these approaches have proven particularly successful in implementing change that effectively supports the organization's goals.

In collaboration with LEAD, we have developed our own five-factor model for change management and communication. This model focuses on five crucial factors to strengthen the change process:

Integrated ways of working: We design change that integrates an ongoing top-down framework with bottom-up engagement to create meaning, shared goals, strengthen relationships and develop skills.
Learning partnership: We establish collaboration between the organization's key players and external as well as internal development consultants. Development takes place in close collaboration that builds competence and capacity.
Development in operations: We break the traditional distinction between operations and development and ensure that development becomes an integral part of operations.
Strategic organizational learning: We design the change process in a committed, strategic framework that top management supports.
Time and impact optimization: We help balance the pace of the change process to suit the situation and ensure there is time for reflection and adjustment.

If you want to improve your change management, we can help you clarify your organization's issues, create a design that fits the problem, communicate the right messages, integrate both top-down and bottom-up processes, and develop and implement change effectively.

How we can help you

We offer you leadership and organizational sparring, research-based training and presentations on change management as well as training courses with a specific focus on giving you and your organization general management skills. Read examples of our services here.

Presentations

Inspiring research-based presentations on change management for all levels of your organization.

Sparring

Sparring in the development of your strategy, decisions and initiatives.

Workshop

Facilitation of active workshops focusing on competence development at management and executive level.

Contact us to learn more about what we can do for your organization

Are you facing an organizational change? Do you need strategic advice or a cultural development program?

Contact us and together we will tailor a process that develops the exact competencies and structures that strengthen and future-proof your organization.

Claus Elmholdt

Professional Director, Founder
Cand.Psych.Aut. & Ph.d.
Associate Professor in Management and Organizational Psychology, Aalborg University

Mobile: +45 26 14 51 57
Email: ce@lead.eu