Your Are Here: Home / Articles / All Change Again, But The Same Principles Apply

All Change Again, But The Same Principles Apply

The last few weeks have seen a host of announcements of fundamental changes in how our public services are going to be delivered in the future. Across the board – from local community services to the major NHS restructure – the need to reduce our deficit and David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ idea promise a major shake up for many organisations.

Getting buy-in

So what impact do organisational changes have on the workforce? And what is the best way to ensure the most seamless and effective transformation possible? The government led changes are intended to have a two-fold positive effect – the provision of a better service by allowing those on the front line to make strategic and operational decisions; and to bring about costs and efficiency savings. All organisations – public or private – will need to undergo change at some time to remain successful and competitive; although change for change’s sake should be avoided as this can be as damaging as avoiding change completely! Britain’s fiscal situation has arguably forced the hand of the coalition government to respond with emergency measures, although they are all too aware of the importance on getting everyone on board. For organisations who have the luxury of choosing when to implement changes, allowing for a sufficient period to communicate the plans and secure buy in from employees could mean the difference between success and failure.

Avoiding the “silo effect”

Investing time in groundwork and preparation can also help to ensure that one key aspect of change is adhered to – all new proposals must be part of a cohesive strategy and should not take place in silos. It is often large, national organisations that are most at risk of this silo effect – where change led from the centre so often fails to result in anything more pervasive than discussions around the coffee machine about what “they” are trying to do now. Once the change is seen as being driven by “them” rather than “us” the process is on a downward spiral; avoiding this mentality requires engaging leaders who are able to lead, support and inspire their teams throughout the change period.

Inspiring change

This leads us to an important distinction between simply managing change processes and successfully leading employees through change. This differentiation is a vital one and it’s all about leaders inspiring their teams to make the changes. In the case of the NHS, how do you inspire a busy GP to spend a significant amount of time working out how to commission secondary care through consortia arrangements that don’t yet exist? How do you inspire PCT managers who have spent the last few years developing world class commissioning systems, to embrace probable redundancy while engaging constructively in the transition to GP commissioning? Processes are important, but without buy in from those implementing them they will not be sufficient to really bring about the improvements they are intended to realise.

Change can be positive

These challenges may seem like a lot to overcome, but successful change is essential for organisations who wish to prosper – and it is possible. As Mark Twain said “if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”. We need to avoid thinking of change as being negative and difficult. In fact, it can be a chance for people and organisations to flourish. It’s now commonly understood that we achieve our best results when we are challenged to stretch ourselves – to go to new places and try new things. If we are supported appropriately in these endeavours, new levels of performance are possible – and indeed likely.

Key principles to ensure success

So what practical measures can be taken? There are some key principles which if adhered to can maximise the chances of success:

Identify and acknowledge the size of the specific challenge.
Ensure good communication between the people leading the change and their teams – this means ensuring that employees understand the reasons for the change and the future benefits that are anticipated, not merely communicating the logistics of how and when the changes will be implemented.
Communicate the change to the whole organisation in a planned, comprehensive and engaging way.
Get an external perspective – this doesn’t need to be a consultant. In the case of the NHS, for example, it could be a new non-executive director.
Be flexible – make sure everyone is moving in the same direction, but also give managers the freedom to communicate and manage change to suit their own team’s culture.
Be persistent – in most cases, if you stop driving the change then the change stops – so be aware of what the desired end state looks like and remind everyone of the progress being made along the way.

It’s a balancing act

Organisational change is not new – it has been happening at a seemingly ever increasing pace since at least the Industrial Revolution. Looking ahead we need to make sure we get the balance right when preparing for major change. Launching into large project plans and layers of process without ensuring that we are taking all employees along with us will lead to over complication and confusion. At the same time we must not over simplify change by believing we can just make it happen – without considering the depth of adjustment required for people to replace old behaviours with new ones, or the level of effort required to engage all key stakeholders, both internal and external.

Creating a brighter future

Getting all this right may seem like a tall order, but by recognising both personal and collective responsibilities, leaders and their organisations can approach change with the right attitude and make the transition easier. Yes, change can be daunting, but it should also be exciting, inspiring and ultimately embraced as the key to a more positive and productive future.

About Author: Gordon Tinline is a director at leading business psychology company Robertson Cooper.