Without proper change management, you can forget about moving your organization to process management. There is a reason change management is located at the heart of APQC's Seven Tenets of Process Management—number four of seven. All the other tenets, in a way, revolve around change management. The first three—strategic alignment, governance, and process models—lead naturally to change management. With sound change management, an organization moves from planning and documenting into action.
Change management is all about people—communicating with them, getting their feedback, and providing consistent explanations and directives to them. It involves answering the questions: How do we move the entire organization, including our culture and our employees, from point A to point Z? And how do we remain a cohesive organization in the process?
A large part of the answer to those questions is getting employees to buy into process management. The keys to gaining this support are:
- alignment,
- accountability,
- engagement/communication, and
- measurement.
Notably, the first two are covered in the first three tenets of process management. Employees need to see that the changes align with strategy and with the work they do on a daily basis. They also need to know how the system is governed, who is accountable for different tasks related to process management, and who to go to for answers or to give feedback. Process models provide a clear understanding of how the process should be performed and help assign responsibilities to workgroups and individuals.
The engagement and communication piece is of the utmost importance and takes on its own work stream in many process management implementations. Employees at all levels should be included in the development of process management approaches, processes, and systems. Without employee input, your process designs may not reflect how the work is being done, and employees could resent having processes imposed upon them without having the chance to shape the new system. Involving employees along the way also reduces the intensity of training that will be required for new or improved systems, processes, and interactions. Training can be spread out along the implementation timeline, giving employees time to learn new ideas and contribute to the processes they will be a part of.
Another way to manage change and gain buy-in is to create core design teams made up of members throughout the organization. These teams help design the implementation and help customize process models to match the needs of the organization. Their feedback is rolled up to the group in charge of the process management implementation, and in turn, core design team members act as ambassadors in their departments who can explain the changes as they roll out.
Finally, measurement and analysis of performance can provide visibility into the progress the entire organization is making. Leaders should not be the only ones who understand what is measured and how. Employees need to understand this, too, so that they can contribute to stronger performance and identify improvement opportunities. Demonstrating that process management is making a difference for employees will build excitement and help process management thrive in your organization.
For more information, read our Realizing Change: Knowing When and How to Successfully Change best practices report and the other items in APQC’s Managing Change collection. Also check out a related white paper: How to Get Employee Buy-in for Measurement.
And don't miss our sessions on change management at APQC's 2011 Process Conference, for instance:
- Creating a Performance Culture—Northrop Grumman
- Management Systems in an International Development Context—Chemonics International