Oct 293 min read

Competing Priorities in Change Management: A Balancing Act

I was recently reminded of what it's like to enter the world of business for the first time. Leaving the confines of university education and branching out into the world of work introduces more variables and approaches. There's no 'right way' and no-one has the ultimate answer.

In some ways change management is an even more complex process than many business disciplines. It involves balancing various competing priorities and these priorities can often conflict, making it challenging to effectively manage the change process. In this blog post, we explore some of the most common competing priorities in change management and discuss strategies to effectively manage them.

A street performer is performing a balancing act while juggling

Common Competing Priorities in Change Management

Speed vs. Quality

You may be talking to a speed demon if they weave in words like 'agile' and 'pivot' into their discussions with you. Why are speed and quality competing priorities?

Business is inherently driven by the desire to implement change quickly to capitalise on opportunities or mitigate risks. However, the people within the business or organisation have a need to ensure the change is implemented thoughtfully and effectively, minimising errors and negative impacts.

Cost vs. Benefits

It's surprising how many changes are launched into without sufficient up front planning and estimation. This may be because it can be quite complex to envision how a change will play out in the future state, and therefore what planning is required to get there. It sometimes seems easier just to jump in and see what happens.

However insufficient forethought can put at odds the need to minimise the financial resources required for the change with the desire to maximise the positive outcomes and value delivered by the change.

Employee Satisfaction vs. Organisational Goals

While the organisation is funding the work and outcomes of the change initiative, it is the employees and other people working with the change that will make it successful. This means a balance is required between these often competing ends.

While on the one hand we need to minimise employee resistance and disruption during the change process, we also need to achieve the strategic objectives of the change.

Risk vs. Reward

They say nothing ventured, nothing gained. But when too much is ventured, everything can be lost. Organisations can manage risk so that it doesn't become a disruption, finding the sweet spot required to continue working amidst uncertainties.

The need to mitigate potential risks associated with the change, such as operational disruptions or financial losses, needs to be weighed against the rewards anticipated in undertaking the change: the potential benefits of the change, such as increased revenue or improved efficiency.

Strategies for Managing Competing Priorities

To effectively manage competing priorities, consider the following strategies:

Stakeholder Alignment

Understanding the difference between people who can influence the change and people who are impacted by the change is imperative. A strong change manager will have an engagement approach for both stakeholders and impacted groups. The engagement plan will involve building trust with stakeholders and aligning their views and visions for the change early on.

Prioritisation

Make your new-found alignment skills work a bit harder to have sponsors and key stakeholders clearly define the most critical priorities and allocate resources accordingly. Leverage skills in the team and use a prioritisation framework, such as the MoSCoW method, to categorise priorities into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won't-Have.

Communication

Open and transparent communication is essential to the trust and understanding we need to build among stakeholders and impacted groups. Regularly communicate the rationale for decisions and the impact of priorities on the change process.

Collaboration

Foster collaboration between business and delivery teams and stakeholders to find common ground and identify solutions that balance competing priorities. Use workshops to encourage open dialogue and active listening to understand different perspectives. If people are 'opting out' by staying silent or not attending, follow them up in person and ask what it would take to get their support.

Flexibility

Be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust priorities as needed. Avoid rigid adherence to plans and be willing to make compromises when necessary. Keep the big picture in mind as you negotiate and balance the competing needs of the change program.

Risk Management

Identify and assess potential risks associated with each priority. Develop mitigation strategies to minimise the impact of risks. Discuss and update the risk mitigation strategies regularly to adjust priorities, and to drop effort from risks that did not materialise. Ensure the risk process is well understood and supported by all the collaborators on the change program.