The definition of Change Management

There is a standard definition for Change Management. Oxford languages defines it as 'the management of change and development within a business or similar organisation.'

The simplified 'real world' definition is the following:

Change management is the planning and implementation of a series of tactical activities that support individuals, teams, leaders, and/or customers to move from a current way of doing things to a new way of doing things. The goal is to generate effective and full adoption of the new way of working in the shortest possible period of time.

Now that you have a frame of reference as to what it is, let's explore what change management is further and the many challenges with introducing change management into any organisation. As with any new discipline (shout out to behavioural insights specialists and customer experience practitioners), the struggle is real when looking to build credibility due to not many people knowing what change management is or even worse, thinking they do and not taking the time to understand what it is. 

Like all business disciplines, change management is outcomes focused. Once again a common misconception is that change is 'soft and fuzzy' and can't be measured. All myths. If you want to see how mythical these views are continue to explore our blogs. These are based on experience, not theory! The truth about change management is that it improved program outcomes, the change leadership capabilities improve outcomes for staff, and the strategic change discipline can result in improved overall organisation performance. 

Ultimately if introduced into organisations and embedded well as a discipline and capability skillset, it can also support customer centric conversations, people related discussions, and capability development. Its potential is exciting. 

If you are seeking to learn more about the change process, or about how to put together a change plan, look into one of our courses. If you are seeking a career in change management, upskill by listening to Next Level Change Success.