How to track progress, measure success and demonstrate the value of change management efforts
When I first met Barton (not his real name), I had hoped that he'd see what a wonderful job I'd been doing, and the agility and competence I'd shown. I had taken a change management strategy from a big 4 consultancy, and made it more practical for the government technology program we were about to embark on. I had adapted to the agency's penchant for Prince II project methodology - even though that seemed to mean IT staff could charge their time to change management budgeting codes without my knowledge - and I had synthesised countless different documents, opinions, statements of approach and drawn the connections between them to arrive at something of a data dictionary for the many proposed methodologies involved.
Not feeling valued?
Barton was a Program Manager who had been recruited from the UK via the United Arab Emirates as the only man on the planet able to implement this particular large scale government intelligent-technology program.
I remember sitting down with Barton, my line manager and an internal comms team - blushing wildly as I could sense my conversation with internal comms about branding was not hitting Barton's level of expectation.
Add to that my star recruitment story. I had searched high and low for a change manager specialised in Cultural Change who was just the right fit for the requirements of senior stakeholders in the business. And I had succeeded! This was important because the cultural shift required was to move from a command-and-control reliance on training and protocol to allowing predictive models to suggest higher levels of risk and broader, more creative and evidence-based response.
Barton was not impressed with my cultural change expert who talked about things like the language people used, the stories they told each other, active listening, engaging with people, going through a process of discovery.
No. Barton wanted a plan. He wanted a timeline and he wanted to know what results would be achieved.
And therein lies the difficulty.
Projects Manage Implementation
The "management" part of Change Management addresses the process of how individuals experience change. This occurs both one at a time, in aggregate, and across the culture of the organisation. Peoples' current experiences and future intentions can be difficult to measure meaningfully.
On the other hand project management applies budgets and resources to a set of tasks. Tasks are worked through in an agreed order culminating in a tangible result which is then showcased or signed off. A warranty period is often applied, and fixes made where something didn't work as it should.
Programs Manage Interdependencies
Where the initiative is larger, a program structure is applied and programs bring together various streams of work. Projects are often still managed as they would be outside of a program, however interdependencies between projects are acknowledged and monitored closely.
The job of the Program Director is to ensure the successful delivery of the program's overall objectives by effectively managing the interdependencies between projects and aligning them with the strategic goals of the organisation. This involves providing leadership, coordination, and oversight to the project managers and their teams, ensuring effective communication and collaboration across the program, and managing risks, issues, and resources to optimise program outcomes.
Change Manages Experiences
Unlike project management which often focuses on tangible outputs, change management is inextricably linked with the complexities of human behaviour and organisational dynamics in general - and specific involvement of the people involved closely with the project or program in particular (such as stakeholders, impacted groups, leaders, vendors, delivery teams and customers).
This introduces unique challenges in measuring the true progress and impact of change initiatives. While project success can be measured by adherence to timelines, budgets, and deliverables, change management success is often less tangible and harder to quantify. It requires a nuanced understanding of individual and collective responses to change, the ability to influence perceptions and behaviours, and the patience to nurture a gradual shift in organisational culture.
Measuring change management success and demonstrating value also requires a will to furnish the change manager with metrics from across the organisation that bear a direct relationship to growth in adoption and likely sustainability of the future solution, product, service, processes, culture or technology.
Measuring the Success of Change Initiatives: Track progress and demonstrate value
I believe what Barton was truly after was a way that the value of the work of my team could be quantified and tracked against a schedule of expected results.
Measuring the right thing
One way to do this is to commit to numerical values in proposed change activities - "we're going to run 5 training courses for 7 Divisions and train 3,500 people." This is measurable, progress towards this can be tracked, required deliverables can be deduced and production and completion efforts monitored in a project plan. The amount of satisfaction with the training can be measured by attendees, and competency levels reported. This measurability will give us a fair idea of how competent the Divisions are in the new technology solution.
However, this is a lag indicator, and it doesn't tell us anything about adoption until after the fact. Therefore, it is crucial for change managers to identify and track lead indicators – those that predict future adoption and usage patterns. These might include early engagement with the change, willingness to participate in training and development activities, positive feedback on pilot programs, and a decline in negative sentiment or resistance.
Common Sources of Lead Indicators for use in tracking the likely success of Change Management
1. Employee Surveys and Feedback:
Regularly conduct surveys to gauge employee sentiment, understanding, and support for the change.
Analyse feedback from focus groups, interviews, and suggestion boxes to identify early concerns and address them proactively.
Surveys are a common tool, and a tempting way to get instant access to current sentiment. However, use them sparingly in case they become tedious, or weighed down by the need to 'send a message'.
Try instead to capture sentiment at points where people barely notice. This might be three quick questions on an interactive app integrated with your live meeting or video conference.
2. Communication Channels:
Monitor internal communication channels like emails, intranet forums, and social media groups to assess employee discussions and sentiment around the change.
Track website traffic and engagement with change-related content to gauge employee interest and information-seeking behaviour.
An email inbox may well be the easiest source of feedback capture you could implement.
3. Training and Development:
Monitor attendance and participation rates in training and development programs related to the change.
Analyse assessment results and feedback from training sessions to identify knowledge gaps and areas where additional support is needed.
Remember that you're not just looking for capability uplift but also reactions, engagement and attitudes. Whether employees will use a new system may be unrelated to how much they like it, or appreciate it's features.
4. Pilot Programs:
Conduct pilot programs to test the change in a controlled environment and gather feedback from early adopters.
Analyse data from pilot programs to identify potential challenges and refine the change strategy before wider rollout.
Pilots help to spread the word organically, and a three dimensional 'test drive' can encourage previously resistant people to engage with the solution in it's physical form.
5. Performance Metrics:
Track early performance metrics related to the change, such as productivity, efficiency, or customer satisfaction.
Analyse trends in these metrics to identify early signs of success or areas where adjustments are needed.
Digital adoption software is able to track specifics like the screens accessed, whether users activated help, or made repeated errors. It's important to analyse trends and track usage over time. Performance metrics may allow you to pinpoint specific usability or capability problems and fix them for better sustained usage in the long run.
Demonstrating Value
While Barton's desire for a clear plan with measurable outcomes is understandable, it's important to remember that change management can be less predictable and more nuanced than traditional project management. The complexities of human behaviour and organisational dynamics make it challenging to quantify the impact of change initiatives in a straightforward manner.
However, by focusing on lead indicators, change managers can gain valuable insights into the likely success of their efforts and demonstrate their value to stakeholders like Barton. By tracking early signs of engagement, participation, positive feedback, and declining resistance, change managers can proactively address potential roadblocks and fine-tune their change strategies to ensure a smoother and more successful transition. Ultimately, this approach allows change managers to not only navigate the complexities of change but also showcase their contribution to achieving the organisation's strategic objectives.
Ready to unlock the full potential of your change initiatives? Agencia Change offers a free consultation to help you navigate the complexities of change and achieve lasting results.
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