(Newswire.net — November 16, 2020) — When you are dealing with change as a business, it is important to continually measure progress.
Knowing what to look for and having effective monitoring in place to ensure the required goals are met is critical in telling you how effectively your process for change is working.
Understanding – Measuring levels of awareness
Are your colleagues clear on why change is necessary? How the planned changes are to happen and how they will be required to contribute? Ensuring awareness of your effectiveness in these areas will help you to manage the change process. If your team are informed and show readiness to participate, is a good indicator that they have accepted the change and will be willing to adapt. Communication skills training might be something to consider if you’re struggling to communicate why change is necessary and the benefits it will have.
Attendance at and participation with training events, forums and showing a willingness to learn are also a good measure of support and co-operation. Checking understanding of key messages and next steps will show that the change process is not only understood, but also that thought has been given to the result and there is a willingness to get there.
Actions – Behaviours and attitudes are in co-operation
As well as understanding, it is important that physical changes and progress be made towards the end goal. As well as “talking the talk” you need your teams to” walk the walk”. Are those charged with leading changes role modelling the required behaviours? Are you making progress against the team’s plan, with clear priorities and actions being evident? If tasks are carried out as expected, on time, on budget and to an acceptable standard, whilst you are seeing leadership by example, provides a strong indicator for you to measure the success of change.
Results
Change management experts will understand that change is only worthwhile if it lasts.
- Is everyone modelling the desired behaviours? It may take time for individuals to make the adjustment, however, these changes should be incorporated into performance goals.
- Performance goals are a clear indicator of how effectively the change is set into practice and will provide a measure of how individuals are handling the newly required behaviours.
- Effective tools for measuring progress should include 1-1 discussions, team meetings and pulse surveys. By keeping a continual dialogue and two-way communication will enable you to assess the effectiveness of the changes.
Dealing with change is not a one off ‘job done and move on’ process. It is vitally important to ensure that organisational goals achieved remain so through continually changed behaviours.
It’s Never A Tick Box Exercise
Measuring the success of a change must not just be a tick box exercise every time a task is actioned; you should never be complacent about change. Measure the responses, attitudes and reactions of colleagues throughout the process to give indicators of your business’s ability to manage change. Your measurements should show progress in achieving the organisational goals as a result of the changed behaviours.
With co-operation, progress to the end will be smoother. When your employees feel supported and informed they will accept more readily that the change is both necessary and beneficial.l