Project Managers and Change Managers: Finding Synergy

Project Managers and Change Managers have a lot of overlapping skill sets and experience and both require strong leadership, communication and organisational skills.

The synergies between project management and change management

Project Managers focus on planning, executing and closing projects whilst managing resources, timelines and stakeholder expectations.  Change Managers focus on guiding organisations through transitions making sure the changes are implemented smoothly and effectively. They are more focused on the human side of change. 

Although experienced Project Managers - through their work managing teams and stakeholders - can deal with the resistance and uncertainty, this is not necessarily the case for all of them. As they are more accustomed to working within defined constraints focusing on specific goals, they may not have the depth and experience in handling the human side of change that professional Change Managers have.

How Project Managers and Change Managers view timelines and budgets

Project Managers and Change Managers have different perspectives regarding budgeting and scheduling due to the nature of their roles and responsibilities.

Project Managers

Change Managers

Focus on delivering projects within a specified timeframe and budget. Primary goal is to complete the project on schedule within the time allocated to the defined scope and quality standards. They use detailed plans, schedules and budgeting techniques to manage resources and track progress. Meeting time and budget requirements are critical success factors.

More concerned with the human and organisational aspects of change. Focus on ensuring changes are adopted smoothly and effectively by the organisation. Obviously, they consider time and budget, but their primary concern is the impact of change on people and processes. Change Managers will more readily suggest additional time and resources if they believe it will lead to a better adoption and less resistance from those impacted by the change.

Successful change initiatives require both a structural approach to project management and the adaptive people focused approach of change management.  By working together Project Managers and Change Managers can balance the need for timely, cost-effective project delivery while ensuring effective change adoption and acceptance by the organisation is achieved.

What do Project Managers find most challenging about managing change?

1. Resistance to Change.

   Employees will invariably resist changes due to the fear of the unknown or concern regarding new processes. Overcoming these requires effective communication and involvement of all stakeholders to build trust and buy in.  Traditional Project managers may not appreciate the depth and difficulty of dealing with this element.

2. Lack of Leadership Support.

   Without strong support from leadership, change initiatives will struggle. However, this can be said for all projects as without clear project leadership, projects will not deliver the benefits expected.

   
   

3. Inadequate Communication.

   Clear and consistent communication is crucial for every project and change initiative.  However, the miscommunication and misunderstandings leading to confusion and resistance are more prevalent dealing with an organisational change initiative.  Project Managers may underestimate the effort needed to ensure that everybody understands the reasons for the change and how their role will be impacted.

   
   

4. Scope and variations

   Projects are usually clearly defined and scoped. Any changes to the scope should go through a formal approval process. In comparison, change initiatives involve the adoption and integration of new ways of working, making scope variation more prevalent. Since these variations are often based on user feedback, they should be embraced for the overall success of the initiative rather than resisted, as is common in traditional projects.

   
   

5. Change Fatigue

   If an organisation undergoes too many changes, employees can experience change fatigue leading to burnout and decreased productivity.  Balancing this impact while with a mindset of delivering the project in accordance with the original objective, can lead to confusion and issues between the Project Manager and the people being affected by the change.

The Importance of Leadership, Scope Definition and Engagement in Projects and Change

Both Project Managers and Change Managers use similar approaches but there are some clear  differences.

Similarities	Differences
Focus Both require detailed plans to outline objectives, timelines and resources.	Focus Project Management focuses on the delivery of specific outputs whilst Change Management focuses on the human side of change and organisational outcomes.
Stakeholder engagement Good stakeholder engagement is critical in both to ensure support and alignment.	Scope Projects have defined project scope whilst change management addresses broader organisational impact.
Risk Management Identifying and mitigating risks is essential for both.	Timeframes Projects have a defined start and end date. Change can be ongoing.
Communication Effective communication is key for both.	Objectives Projects aim to complete tasks and deliverables. Change Management aims to ensure adoption and minimise resistance.
Leadership Strong leadership is needed to guide teams and ensure successful outcomes.	Flexibility Change Management is more flexible and adaptive whilst Project Management tends to follow stricter guidelines.
Resource Management Efficient use of resources is critical for both.	Measures of Success Project success is measured by meeting project goals while change management is measured by the level of adoption and acceptance in the workplace.
Monitoring and Control Both involve regular monitoring and control to track progress and where necessary make changes.	Tools and Techniques Different tools and techniques are used. Project Management tools and techniques include breakdown of structures, scheduling tools and risk management and stakeholder analysis. With Change Management, the predominant tools are stakeholder analysis and force field analysis, change impact assessments and probably a change model.
Goal Orientated Both are focused on achieving specific goals and outcomes	Stakeholder Focus Project Management focuses on project stakeholders while Change Management focuses on all affected individuals.
Change (variation) Management Managing change is a component of both whether it is a project change or organisational change.	Training and Support Change Management places a higher emphasis on training and support to help people adapt to the changes.
Documentation Proper documentation is required for tracking progress and ensuring accountability on both.	Cultural Impact Project Management focuses on technical and procedural changes whilst Change Management often involves addressing cultural and behavioural changes.

The value of combining change management and project management skills

In their book Gorilla in the Cockpit, Vyas and Zweifel's research identified that in every project there are some white box and black box issues.

The white box issues tend to be focused on what all or most project managers are good at, which can be summarised as follows:

• Tangible, visible and objective

• Business case

• Good documentation

• Project Governance

• Procurement strategy

• Execution capability

• Quality.

The black box issues tended to be overlooked or not handled with as much rigour.  They include:

• Leadership

• Motivation

• Overcoming trust barriers

• Fear of speaking up

• Accountability

• Understanding culture.

Simplistic viewing would suggest that Change Managers are far more skilled and adept at dealing with the issues in the black box than Project Managers are.

Probably the professional of the future needs to be able to combine the skills of the Project Manager and the Change Manager as the world moves towards more project-based organisations facing the need for faster execution and overcoming and succeeding in a complex world.

Wider change initiatives

According to Rick Maurer's book Beyond the Wall of Resistance, research suggests that change initiatives fail usually for one of the following reasons:

1. Assuming understanding is the same as support and commitment.

2. Underestimating the potential power of employee and manager engagement.

3. Failing to appreciate the power of fear.

4. Failing to acknowledge a slight lack of trust in leaders can kill off the idea.

Very few of these loom large in the average Project Manager’s thinking.

Conclusion

Project management and change management are treated as distinct disciplines with their own focuses and processes, they are undeniably complementary. Project management provides the structure, organisation, and control to deliver a defined outcome, while change management more fully addresses the human element, ensuring that individuals and teams embrace and adapt to the changes brought about by the project.

For organisations to deal with the complexities of change more effectively, minimising resistance, and ultimately achieving more successful project outcomes that deliver lasting value they need to integrate these two skill sets.

Consider them as a roadmap and a compass; project management guides the journey, while change management ensures everyone is willing to embark on it and stays on course. This synergy between project management and change management is crucial for organisations to implement the changes that matter.

Find out more about APMG’s Project Management Certifications.

Richard Pharro, CEO, APMG

Richard is the founder and CEO of APMG, one of the few privately owned international accreditation and certification bodies.  Started in 1993, APMG has expanded its portfolio to nearly 100 schemes across the management spectrum on behalf of many international organisations and has representation in 14 countries.

Richard is a Chartered Director and Civil Engineer who, in his early career, worked on projects in Europe and the Middle East.

Richard believes APMG’s success is due to the way everyone within the business builds strong relationships with the people and organisations with whom APMG works.